


Peace and Harmony

by SKid99



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Cussing, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 13:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 137,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13342110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKid99/pseuds/SKid99
Summary: Featuring elements of 2k3; Earth was spared from the Tricerations and all are wanting to turn over a new leaf in their lives. Karai, in danger of being captured by the Shredder, wants this desperately. With the aid of the turtles, teens and the long-awaited retromutagen, she regains her mind and her capabilities from before. After some time, she disappears, her life and others' lives changing.





	1. Slithery Situation

The Earth, free from the Triceratons and their plan to eradicate the planet Earth, is at ease; celebrations are being thrown around every corner of the world, hugs and cheers are being shared, actions one wouldn't dare do before are now being acted on- everyone is thrilled and is taking their lives to a new level of appreciation. They all want to do more for themselves and won't mind the obstacles that will stand in their way along the journey. They want to make the next step.

* * *

Once again cornered in a dark alley by Shredder's henchmen, Karai hisses, frantically trying to find a way out. Her mind is almost rid of, and she can barely think or speak normally anymore. The Shredder's plan to make a miserable life for the one who fell in the vat of the mutagen that fateful day proves itself to be a success every waking moment for the used-to-be kunoichi. With what remaining functionality of thought that remained, she thought to herself, "I need to get out of here."

On high alert for her, Leonardo passed rooftops frantically, his curiosity piquing about the whereabouts of Karai moments after their success of saving the planet Earth. She was a top priority now; he wouldn't let her be captured by the one who damaged her in the first place ever again. He was determined to give her a better life. Even with the comments made by his loved ones that he should give himself a break before resuming his search, he couldn't just sit around and wait. He had to take action now.

Having to be careful as the people of New York were at wake, even days after the Earth being spared, he stopped as he heard a hiss from a distance. He waited to hear it again, wanting to ensure his mind wasn't giving him false hope. Once he heard the hiss again, along with threatening coos, he rushed to the spot. He couldn't let it happen again. Swiftly jumping down in front of her, Leo slid his katanas out from his clothed sheaths, raising them up immediately.

"Lookey whose come to join the party!" Bebop snickered.

"Only one turtle scum? Is easy peasy for us to bash into ground," Rocksteady replied, hot air rising from his nostrils.

Leo chuckled lowly, throwing the two off guard. "Yeah, it will be." With no warning, Leo leaped and struck Bebop, sending him to the ground. He planted his foot firmly down on the warthog's chest, turning his glare to the rhino. His alarming smile made Rocksteady's blood feel like it was curdling. "For **_me_**."

Karai watched the creature taking down the two who threatened to capture her, or end her- she wasn't sure what was happening anymore- all the while trying to grt away. But with the swift and frantic actions of the creature, she couldn't slip through without being hurt. She would have to wait until he stopped to either slip away or await for what the creature would try to do to her. After some minutes, the two scurried away, shouting something that was most likely negative, while the creature barely moved an inch. He didn't turn to see if she was there or anything.

He only spoke three words. "You still there?"

Karai pondered on whether to respond; this was a stranger with intentions she knew nothing of. She hissed softly anyways, staying frozen as the creature turned around to face her. He stepped a bit closer, but there was still a long distance between them. She didn't sense any negative intentions from the creature, so she relaxed her stance, but just by a bit. Seeing this, Leo took another step forward. Noticing that she hadn't tensed, he kept walking towards her until she hissed, then stopped. He was still in the shadows, as he must be, but a dimmed street lamp had shone some light on the creature, making out his leaf green skin color.

"Are you hurt?"

Not responding, Leo asked again, but a bit slower. Karai hissed, but in a way that indicated she was saying 'yes.' Leo nodded, a relief filling him. He knew just standing there wasn't going to progress anything, so he had to think quickly. He drew in a breath, murmuring something incoherent to the mutant. He stepped out more into the dim light slowly, so as not to alarm her. Showing his full self, he raised his head up, his eyes gazing at her.

"Do you?"

She didn't respond and gave him a confused look.

"Do you recognize me? Or remember me?" He asked softly, the harshness and edge in his voice from before nonexistent. He took one step closer, his hands on his plastron. "You're losing yourself, aren't you?" Karai only made a low sound, not knowing how to respond to these meaningless questions the creature was asking. He sighed softly, his hands going down at his sides. "You probably won't understand a word I'm saying, but if there's still some part of you in there, please, hear me out." Leo extended his arm out, his palm open and his fingers curled. Karai, her guard up, let one of her snake hands rest in his hand, not knowing what else to do.

Leo let out a soft exhale, a small smile tugged at a corner of his lips. "You're probably really confused right now, and frightened. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that Shredder will never get near you again." Something inside of Karai felt like it was being pinched hard, and she hissed at the foul name. Leo didn't flinch, just waited for her to calm down. "I want you to have a better chance in life. I'm not going to take you back to the lair; it's probably not what you want. I'll let you go, but I'm going to watch over you." He laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not to make it sound weird or anything... anyways... I'm hoping Donnie, Mikey and April find the retromutagen to change you back. I won't stop until I have to. I promise."

His tender eyes piercing into hers, Leo let her hand go, a warm smile on his face. Something about this creature was faintly familiar; Karai had it at the tip of her tongue. Her eyes widened a bit with recognition, and she inched just a bit towards the terrapin. "Le...Leonardo..."

Leo's eyes widened a bit, and his small smile went wide. "Karai?"

She was about to respond to this when she saw a striped face with a patch over one eye watching her from a distance. Its lip snarled, knowing it was now or never to try to capture her. She hissed loudly and slithered past Leo, disappearing around a corner in a manner of seconds. Leo turned sharply, running to the end of the alley, his arm extended out in her direction. "Karai!" He shouted, utterly puzzled as to what made her run. He turned around and heard a growl, and he instantly went into action.

"Move aside, turtle," Tiger Claw growled loudly. "I have no time to play your games."

"You're not getting near her," Leo snapped, already starting an attack lunge, taking his katanas out to play.

"She is not your cub, nor your concern," Tiger Claw responded, fighting back as he tried to reach for his gun. "What importance is she to you?"

"What importance is she to you?" Leo retorted back, knocking the plasma gun out of Tiger Claw's hands.

"She is a cub of Shredder, and he will see to it that his cub is returned to him, like a true-"

"What? _Father?_ He's not her father; he's been deceiving her ever since he took her away from her true family! Shredder knows nothing of honor; he's lost all shreds of it! If you're so honor bound, why do you kneel to him? Why do you work for someone who doesn't even have his morals in line? All he cares about is victory!"

Tiger Claw kicked the terrapin away, growling lowly. Leo only stopped as he crashed into a wall, moaning in pain. As Tiger Claw went to retrieve his weapon, Leo mumbled loudly to him, "You know I'm right." Leo tried catching his breath, but it felt like forever with the wind knocked out of him. "He has no honor."

With his back turned to him, Tiger Claw started to part his ways from the battered turtle. "I will not allow myself to be a toy of your games."

* * *

With Tiger Claw out of sight, and no energy left inside of him to make him get back up and stall the tiger any longer, Leo lamely crawled further into a nearby alley, curling himself in a corner full of dark shadow. No one really came to the particular alley anyways, so Leo allowed himself to close his eyes and let his unconsciousness start to settle in. He didn't care about the scolding he would face at home; he was sure he had stalled Tiger Claw long enough for Karai to get away, and that's all that mattered at that moment.

* * *

Hearing rugged breathing nearby, and seeing the indention of a body crashed onto the wall, Karai slithered her way into the alley carefully, trying to figure out where the terrapin was. Recognizing the foot of the turtle sticking out just a bit behind a trash bag, Karai made her way to the shadowed corner, knocking the trash nearby away. Using an arm to carefully pull the terrapin out of the shadow and into her hold, she used the way down the sewers she had used to avoid the Foot for so long and found her way to where the lair should be. She followed the tunnels that led to the underground subway and followed the tracks until a brighter light had shown in the tunnel. She rushed her way over to it and stopped where the wall ended.

She took a peek from the corner of it and saw that no one was in the common area. She carefully slithered into the lair, gently placing the turtle down on the ground. He made a soft yet pained sound as she set him down, then went back to being quiet. The only way that the others would take notice of him now being back home, Karai- hesitant to do so but knew she had to- pressed down hard on a tender spot on Leonardo, quickly retreating as his body writhed and his face contorted into a pained expression. A loud scream of pain came out of the terrapin, and- just as she had hoped- hurried footsteps went towards the turtle. Taking one last glance at the family, she disappeared once again, holding onto the thought of them all as long as her mind would allow her to before it would all be forgotten and wiped from her memory.


	2. Please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This chapter will be focused on Leo solely, but the next chapter is gonna have our kunoichi in it!]

Letting out a piercing cry, writhing in place, Leonardo moaned, instinctively bringing his hand up to the tender spot that was currently aching. Hearing hurried footsteps rushing towards him, he opened his eyes just a bit to check where he was. The bright lights of the lair (for an underground home, that is) burned his eyes. He raised his arm up but hissed as it threatened to lock up. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the brightness. He looked around, becoming puzzled as he recognized his surroundings. _The lair? Wasn't I just at-_

"Leonardo!" The worrisome cries coming from his father and his brothers hurt the blue-masked turtle's head. Lifting his hands to the sides of his head, Leo shut his eyes again, focusing on trying to lessen the pain in his head.

"What happened?"

"Who did this to you?"

"Can we still catch 'em and give 'em a lesson they'll never forget?"

"Please, my sons," Splinter scolded, holding his hand up firmly to silence them. "Leonardo is in a great amount of pain; let us lift him onto a more comfortable surface than the floor." The three nodded obediently, parting just a bit. Each of the four took a limb of the leader in blue and slowly and carefully lifted him, slowly trudging to the couch. The three terrapins had a flash of lifting an unconscious Leonardo into the tub just months ago, and a wave of sadness crashed over them. Their concern over their elder brother was piquing. After settling Leo onto the couch, and watching as he shifted very cautiously, they all hovered over him, but made sure to give him space. "My son, what happened?"

Leo didn't instantly respond; he knew once he did, he would get the look from them all. But he couldn't think of a lie, so he told them. "I went out looking for Karai."

Splinter,'s Raphael's, Donatello's and Michelangelo's brows furrowed, their eyes looking worn yet unimpressed. _There's the look..._

"I know, I know," Leo replied to this, his voice a bit hoarse. He tried clearing his throat, but it hurt his head. "I did find her; Bebop and Rocksteady were about to capture her. I jumped in just in time and drove them away-"

"Are those two boneheads the ones who did this to ya?" Raph asked, his eyes narrow. "Why I oughta-"

"No, Raph," Leo replied quickly, pushing Raph down by his shoulder as he was about to get up and storm off. "Did you hear me? I drove them away."

"Oh," Raph mumbled, settling back down.

"Then who did... this," Mikey waved his arms over Leo's form. "to you, bro? Was it Snakarai?"

Mikey was met with unimpressed and unamused looks, to which he nervously laughed to.

"No, it wasn't Karai. It was Tiger Claw. I was just about to let her go but then she spotted Tiger Claw and she slithered away. I stalled Tiger Claw for a while in hope of Karai to get far away enough to where he couldn't find her- I just hope it worked."

"So, what did he do? Slam ya into a wall?"

Leo's silence answered this, and Raph sighed, lifting a hand to his face. He stood up abruptly and left, leaving the four behind with questioning eyes. Leo sighed, turning on his side and facing the cushions of the couch. Seconds later, Raph returned with a glass of water in one hand, and two pills in the other. Leo turned his head up. Leo didn't like the feel or the taste of pills in his mouth; meditation usually eased his nerves and lessened his headaches, but he was in no state to do that now. Raph growled very quietly but enough for Leo to hear. Raph wasn't going to take no for an answer. Leo, with a grunt of defeat, held his palm out for the pill. Raph helped him sit up enough so that he wouldn't choke on it, giving Leo the water just as soon as he shuddered. Right after gulping down the entire glass, Leo turned back on his side.

"Perhaps sleep is in order, my sons," Splinter commented, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Raph replied, looking down at Leo. "Okay."

"I need to address to Leo's wounds, though, Sensei," Donnie argued. "We can't leave the open wounds untreated; they might get infected, and easily too, being that we live in the sewers."

"I really don't-"

"Do so, then," Splinter replied, cutting Leo off. "Then go to sleep. Good night, my sons."

"Night, Sensei," the four replied, watching as he left. They all exchanged looks, then looked away.

"I'm going to get the aid kit," Donnie said, making his way out. "I'll be back. Mikey, I could use your help."

"Oh, okay," Mikey replied, hopping to Donnie's side. "We won't be long."

Watching their two younger siblings exit, Leo and Raph glanced at each other. Leo knew that Raph was not happy with him, and he had a right to be. But he just didn't feel up to defend himself. Raph sat at the foot of the couch, silent. He set the glass down on the floor, drawing in a sharp breath. "Look, you and I don't want me to do this, but I gotta. 'Cause you're being dumb."

"How," Leo said flatly. "am I being dumb."

"C'mon, Leo," Raph scoffed, his lip curled up a bit. "You need backup if you're gonna do this kind of stuff. Just lookatcha; battered and bruised."

"It's not that bad," Leo retorted, trying to sound harsh, but with his weak voice, it wasn't working.

"'Not that bad'," Raph mocked. "Leo, we can't have this happen again. We almost lost ya so many times- we're real worried about ya, Leo. You always just seem to jump into the risk of death when there's other outs-"

"That's not always the case," Leo spat back. "Sometimes it's the only way to make sure you guys get out of there."

"But when there's another out and you don't take it," Raph sighed, frustrated. "Look, to make it simple, we don't wanna lose ya; we can't lose ya. We need each other now more than ever, bro. Only we and Casey and April know the real situation here," Raph said lowly. He lifted his head up just a bit to level his eyes to Leo's. Leo's eyes widened as his eyes pierced into Raph's sad, enormous ones. "Please."

Leo felt his eyes grow sad. He sat up a bit and sighed, sliding a hand down his face. "I know- I'm just... I want you guys to be safe."

"I know."

"I can't help that I'm selfless."

Raph chuckled at this. "Yeah, it's annoyin' sometimes."

Leo laughed a bit too. "I know. I'm sorry."

Raph looked at Leo suddenly, his eyes stern. "Promise you won't go out and get into another fight."

"I promise."

"Good." Raph stood up, giving Leo a light punch. "Donnie, c'mon, I'm gettin' tired."

"Coming!" Donnie replied. Mikey was the first to run to Leo's side, some bandages and a bottle of rubbing alcohol in his hands. Donnie came after, and he and Mikey began to address Leo's wounds. After some minutes of wrapping up, the four took positions in the living area of the lair and fell asleep. Raph positioned himself at the foot of Leo, Mikey on the ground on a bean bag chair, and Donnie reserving the other couch for himself. They were all sleeping peacefully- except, of course, the leader, whose thoughts were keeping him awake.

_'I did not bring myself home. I went unconscious in the dark corner of that alley. Tiger Claw took all the energy I had with him. I could barely make it to that corner. I did not bring myself home. I did not bring myself here. I couldn't have. Did the guys bring me here? No. They didn't know where I was. That leaves only one person.'_

Leo slowly slid out of the blankets he was provided, biting on the sides of his cheeks as his body urged him to stay laying down. As much as he knew he really should have, his mind just wouldn't let him. He froze when Raph grumbled a bit and stirred in his sleep, then became relieved when Raph didn't awaken. Leo walked out of the lair slowly, hoping that this trip wasn't going to be for nothing.


	3. Hope

His body feeling heavy with every step and leap he took, Leo stopped on top of the building he jumped off of to defend Karai. He looked down as he had his hands on his knees, panting frantically. He tried getting his erratic breathing back to normal, but it took time. When he finally did, he found a problem: how to get down. There was no outside fire escape stairs; it was on the other side. He would either have to go to the other side, go down, go in the front of the building without being seen (though currently the night was alive) and go into the alley or jump down like he had before. For once, his mind got the better of him, reminding him that jumping down was NOT an option.

He sighed, turning on his heel, ready to go down the outside stairs when he felt the roof vibrate just a bit, like another body had joined him. He slightly turned his head around, hoping that Tiger Claw or any others of the Foot were looking for a fight. No doubt he would give it his all, but his odds weren't that great. Hearing no threats so far, he let himself turn all the way around to face who was with him. His nerves eased as his eyes set on her.

"Karai," he breathed, his hand over his heart. "Thank goodness."

She didn't reply, only stared at him. She circled around him, observing the turtle.

"You might not be in your right mind at this moment, and that's okay. But give me some sign to this: did you take me to the lair?"

She nodded- ever so slightly, but her response was clear.

"I knew it," Leo mumbled. "Well, I just wanted to say thank you."

For some reason, she felt that it was not all he wanted to say. She slithered toward him, her eyes giving him a doubtful look.

"Karai," Leo said slowly. "Can you... understand me right now?"

She looked away for a second, then looked back. "Leo..." She then moved back a bit, and Leo took a step forward. He had more to say; he didn't want her to leave now. She looked around for a place to go behind and shot behind it. Using all of her energy, she transformed into her human form, stepping back out seconds after. Leo's eyes were a bit wide and his mouth a tad agape. She smiled, but just for a second. "You... you should make it quick."

Leo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice serious. He looked around. "Is someone following you?"

Karai rolled her eyes and chuckled just a bit. "No. Even if sssomeone was, you're in no shhhape to fight."

Leo rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, you're probably right. But that doesn't mean I can't stall them-"

"Leo," Karai interrupted, putting her hands on his shoulders. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh, uh, right," Leo replied slowly. "Just... why didn't you leave and hide somewhere else? You could have been captured going back in the alley- why'd you take me down to the lair? Why didn't you stay? Did they know you left me there?"

"Sssomething inside me remembered you, and I couldn't jusst leave you behind and not know how you were. You've done much for my benefit, even when it put you in danger. I took you down there becaussse it wass the leasst I could do. As far as they're concccerned, you stumbled in there and collapsssed. I didn't sstay because I could feel mysself slipping away; I would hurt my family."

Leo didn't respond immediately; he only looked at her, his eyes tender now. They both intently looked at each other for a long moment, not moving. Karai opened her mouth to continue, but then Leo tilted his head down and his shoulders slumped. He sighed.

"What isss it?"

"You," Leo sighed, trying to sort out the words in his mind. "You did nothing to deserve this." Karai went silent, her arms falling off of his shoulders and to her sides. "You were deceived your whole life and told countless lies... you lost your mother and your father until recently, and you don't even feel safe being around him in fear of hurting him. We were so close to having you and Splinter reunite. If I had just followed you nonetheless the powder or gotten there in time or convinced you to stay-"

"Leo," Karai stopped him. "You need to go."

"What?" Leo asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Ssstaying in thiss form... in a ccertain period of time, it sstartss to hurt. Then, I sstart to lose my right mind again. Pleassse. Go now."

Leo didn't argue; once you were out of control of something, it was hard to contain or even get a grip on. "I hope they don't capture you."

Karai stopped in place for a moment, turning just a bit to face him. "I hope sso, too."

"I'll find a way to get your life back, Karai. I hope you trust me on that."

Karai absentmindedly nodded, running away as her breathing grew heavy and her mind became scrambled. She didn't know why she could trust the terrapin so easily, but she ran out of time to ponder of it. She fell to the floor and groaned as her form shifted back into her snake form. She let out a hiss before slithering away, with no recollection of the conversation she just had. Leo looked back as she slithered into the shadows, his eyes arching up and his lips frowning, climbing down the outside stairs.

* * *

Leo opened a manhole and trudged through the sewers, going back to the lair as silently as he could. He was walking along the tracks and saw something in the corner of his eye move. Leo's posture straightened up quickly, and his guard went up. He stepped forward cautiously, narrowing his eyes to try to see who was up ahead. When the shape of the figure revealed itself, Leo's nerves shot up, and he sighed. _Busted_.

Leo stepped in front of the figure, his face full of guilt and tiredness. "Look, let me-"

"No," Raph replied, his voice harsh and low. "You promised me-"

"-that I wouldn't get into a fight."

"And that you wouldn't go out. Leo," Raph growled, his voice raising a bit. Not wanting to wake the others, he grabbed Leo's wrist and walked them to the further end of the tracks, where they couldn't wake the family. "If you can't keep a promise so simple as to not go out, then do one thing. Just this."

Leo felt obligated to agree to whatever terms Raph was about to lay down. "What?"

"Be careful. Take it easy. Lie low."

"What about patrols?"

"Donnie, Mikey and I can take care of that. You stay down here for patrols."

"But what if Karai is-"

"Then we'll take care of it. It's not just you tryna look out for her; she's Splinter's daughter. She's family now. We got her back, just like you do. You gotta remember that you're not in it alone. We care about her too. We're in this together; it's not you alone. Okay?"

"What if you guys need more help?"

Raph's mouth went thin-lined, and he crossed his arms over his plastron, giving the leader a look. "I'm not takin' no for an answer, Leo."

"I wasn't saying no-"

"You were tryna avoid answerin' it. I'm not dumb."

"I know, I know." Leo opened his mouth to speak more, but he took in too much air, so he started coughing roughly. His throat wouldn't clear and the coughing turned violent enough to the point where he fell to his knees. Going into concerned, protective mode, Raph bent down and helped Leo up. Raph wrapped Leo's arm around his shoulders for support and started walking them toward the lair. They sneaked into the kitchen, where Raph quickly got a glass of water for Leo and handed it to him. He watched as Leo gulped down the water, his cough gone and his breathing heavy. After catching his breath, Leo looked up and was met with the stern face of Raphael.

"Okay. Just for a few days, though."

"I know. Knowing you, if I asked for longer, you would sneak out."

"How did you find out I sneaked out while you were all sleeping?"

"Whenever ya got off the couch and I woke up a bit. I pretended to go back to sleep, and I had my eyes open a bit to see what you were gonna do. When you left, I just kinda sighed and waited for you to come back."

"Why didn't you go after me?"

"There's no changin' that stupid mind of yours. If you were gone for too long, I woulda started to look for ya. I trust ya enough to not get into trouble, and I'm hopin' you can trust me and the guys to have your backs. I'm trustin' ya to take it easy for a couple of days, 'cause everyone in space knows that you need one after all we went through."

"What about you guys, though? You guys need a break, too."

"We get breaks a lot, Leo. You insist on patrollin' alone sometimes and we let you. Plus there's the times on patrols when nothin's happenin' and we just goof off with each other. We have fun. We're hopin' you are, too." Raph turned his shell to Leo, tilting his head down.

"I do have fun with you guys," Leo insisted, laying a hand on one of Raph's broad shoulders. "I'm just... I'm always worried about something."

"I know."

"Sometimes I wanna change that about me, but I just can't."

"Yeah."

Leo sighed, using his arms to turn Raph to face him. "Raphie. Hey." Raph looked up a bit. "I promise that I'll lie low. I owe it to you and the guys. I know that you guys are worried about me possibly going back to that stage where I couldn't do anything but mope around and could barely stand on my own two feet. I don't want that happening either; it was bad enough the first time. I was basically-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Raph spat lowly. "You're never worthless. Don't say that crap."

"Sorry. But, you get my point?"

Raph looked up fully at the leader now. "You absolutely promise? No lies? No sneaking out 'til you're okay to, no tryna slither your way into patrol- nothing, right?"

"I promise."

"This better not be an empty promise."

"Gimme your hand, Raph."

"What for?"

Leo raised his hand to Raph's level, his fingers curled a bit. Leo's eyes met with Raph's, and then Raph understood what he was trying to do. Raph sighed, smiling and rolling his eyes as they did their little version of a handshake, but with no shaking whatsoever. Their fingers touched each others as they wiggled their fingers slightly higher, just like they had on the rooftop. They both chuckled a bit, walking into the pit.

"Your throat okay? That cough sounded killer."

"Well," Leo shrugged. "I sounded stupid before anyway, I'm sure. But I'm tired."

"I bet you are. Let's get ya to bed then."

"You gonna read me to sleep?" Leo teased, trudging to his room as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"You wish," Raph snickered, helping Leo settle onto the bed. "Get some shut eye; don't fake it again."

"I woooon't," Leo replied, yawning. He turned on his side, moaning a bit in pain. Raph leaned over to aid the terrapin, but Leo stopped him. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. I don't want you worrying about me all night. Go back to sleep."

"Can't help it."

Leo turned to face Raph. He scooted over a bit, then patted the spot next to him. "Then get comfy."

Raph scoffed, turning his head. But he found himself climbing into Leo's bed and pulling the covers over he and Leo's forms anyways. Leo pulled off his and Raph's masks, setting it to the side and closing his eyes. "Night, nerd."

"Night, Raph." With that, Raph fell asleep instantly. Leo chuckled, his mind wandering a thought before it went to sleep. _I hope she's safe._

Karai curled herself, trying to obtain some warmth. She discovered a place where little to no people came around, not even the Foot. She grabbed the blanket she obtained some days ago and draped it over herself, slowly drifting to sleep. Whenever she would start to slumber, her mind came back a bit. Tonight, she thought of only one thing before she slept. _I hope they're safe._


	4. Determined

For a few days, as Leo had sworn, the guys went on patrol while Leo stayed in the lair with Splinter to recover. It irked Leo to not be doing anything and be unproductive, so he took to cleaning. _As long as I'm doing something_ , he thought to himself, sweeping the pit. Splinter came out for a cheesicle, not noticing his son until his ear flicked up, hearing the light brush of the broom bristles against the floor. Splinter turned to Leo and gave him a stern look. Leo smiled sheepishly as Master Splinter strode towards him.

"Leonardo, shouldn't you be resting?"

"I have been for days. I need to do something, at least, instead of just sitting around. It irks me sometimes, Sensei."

"You feel the need to be productive?"

Leo's face perked up. "Yes! Anything!"

"Rest."

Leo became baffled, tilting his head a bit. "Huh?"

"You will be very productive when you heal, my son. Straining your body will not help with the process; it will only make it go by more slowly. So," Splinter swiped the broom away from the terrapin, pointing to the couch. "Rest."

Leo sighed. He leaned down a bit to bow to his father. "Hai, Sense-eyy! Ouch!" Leo hissed, struggling to stand back up properly. Splinter offered a hand to Leo, helping him to the couch. Leo turned on his side to face the cushions of the couch once again, waiting until he heard his fathers footsteps descend into the training area. Another irk: being pitied and/or not being able to do something so simple and requiring assistance. With how overcome with boredom he was, Leo would have thought he would eventually fall asleep, but that was not the case. Just being aware of being so bored frustrated him; he wasn't allowed to do much except get up either for food or hygienic purposes, so it seemed to him. _The guys are probably having a blast right now._

* * *

"C'mon, after 'em!"

The three turtles ran after the surprisingly quick Purple Dragons, who had just attempted to rob someone. So far, with their marked days of patrol, they had seen no sign of Karai anywhere. Leo always asked whenever they would come home, and the silence would answer the leader's question with an unwanted answer. Raph let out a heavy breath and increased his stamina, leaping on the next couple of roofs, leaving a trail of dust behind. The Purple Dragons looked up at the roof and saw no signs of the turtles, and took a breath of relief. They were in the clear!

Three figures popped in front of them, making them jump back a bit. Raph stepped into the light, a cynical smile on his face.

"How cute; you thought you were home free."

The gang was about to turn and bolt, but Donnie and Mikey quickly blocked the way. They all looked at Raph.

"Tsk tsk; I guess not everyone deserves a second chance, huh?" Raph quickly took his sais out from his belt, giving them a little twirl. "Let's get em!"

After a brief montage of struggling and pleas of release from the Purple Dragons, Raph finally decided it was time to mercy them. Raph bucked forward a bit, sending the Purple Dragons running. Raph smiled widely, twisting in place and extending his arms out. "Whoo! That was much needed. That'll teach those scumbags."

Noticing his behavior throughout the night, and now hearing the turtle using terms he wouldn't usually say, Donnie and Mikey decided it was high time to ask, "What the heck is up with you?"

Raph raised a brow, puzzled. "I don't follow."

"Dude," Mikey began, taking a step forward. "You've been kinda more... mean since we saved the Earth."

"Not mean, exactly," Donnie stepped in. "Kind of... well, more angsty and impatient towards opponents. More than before."

"I don't know what you're-" Raph's mind sputtered as he saw a sliver of pale lilac and purple whiz by. His eyes widened, and he began to follow.

"Raph! Where are you going?" Mikey yelled, chasing after him. Donnie soon followed.

"It's her!" Raph replied, not looking back. "Up ahead!"

"Snakarai?!" Mikey chirped. "It's sis!" Mikey sped up, catching up to Raph. Donnie sighed, increasing his speed as well.

Karai sensed that she was being followed, so escaping to her new hideout was not an option. She looked up and saw an outside metal staircase, quickly using it to get to the rooftops, hopeful to lose whoever was tailgating her. Unfortunately, three figures surrounded her. Something about their form made her stop herself from attack. The three cautiously stepped towards her, their hands up in surrender position to indicate no hostility.

"Karai," Mikey began. He put his hands to his plastron. "It's me, Mikey! Your brother! We all are!"

"Karai, we mean no harm," Donnie added, stopping in his place. "Do you recognize any of us?" Karai's eyes cutting Donnie gave the technical turtle his answer. "She's not herself right now, guys. She doesn't remember us."

"Go figure," Raph replied. "Why don't we just grab her and take her back down to the lair?"

"Are you daft?!" Donnie spat. "She's a danger to herself and not to mention us! She isn't aware of any of this right now; all she's focused on is surviving!"

While Raph and Donnie bickered back and forth, Mikey noticed in the corner of his eye that Karai was about to slither away. He took action. "Karai, wait!" He whispered in her earshot. She hesitated, but waited. Mikey carefully stepped closer to her, slowly closing the big gap between them. Her posture stiffened, and her upper lip curled up a bit. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I just wanna show ya something." Mikey quickly pulled out his T-Phone and dialed a number, putting it up to his ear and hoping the caller would pick up.

"Mikey?" Leo answered. "Is something wrong?"

"Thank goodness you're not asleep!" Mikey replied. "Here, just, say words, dude!"

"Say words?" Leo asked. "Like what?"

"Just keep talking! She's squinting!"

"She?" Leo asked, sitting up now. "You mean Karai?"

"Yeah, bro! We finally found her! Totally safe; she's with us!"

"That's good!" Leo chirped. "So... why did you call me then? You could have waited 'til you guys got home..."

"We have a problemo. She doesn't recognize any of us. I called you and figured that, if she saw your picture and heard your voice, maybe she would be able to talk to us for a bit!"

Leo's eyes widened a bit. He pulled the phone away from his ear, made sure he had the right number, and pressed it back on the side of his head. "Okay. So, is she listening right now?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, uhm.. Karai? It's me, Leo.. See, me on the screen? I know I'm not there; Splinter and the guys want me to heal. I'm guessing you would think, 'no duh', hehe... Anyways... can you understand me? Do you reme-"

"Leo," Karai replied. She squinted at Mikey, her eyes then widening a bit with recognition. "Mi...Michelangelo?"

Mikey bounced in place, containing his urge to hug her. "Yeeeeesss! I'm Michelangelo! Michelangelo is me! You remember Miche- I mean, you remember me?"

Karai nodded, turning her attention to the two bickering turtles. "What... are they doing...?"

"They're fighting. Hold on. RAPH! DONNIE! KARAI REMEMBERS NOW, SO GET YOUR SHELLS OVER HERE BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME!"

Leo laughed over the line. When Mikey yelled sternly, he couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. It was always amusing and impressive to him. Hearing Leo laugh, with no coughing following after, Mikey smiled warmly, which in turn made Karai smile. Raph and Donnie came over, their guards up, and approached Karai.

"So... what now, Leo?" Raph asked. "We got her... now what?"

Leo rubbed the back of his neck. "Just make sure she's safe for tonight. Once she loses her self, she could become vulnerable and dangerous. I'm sure she has a hideout, but I don't know where. I'm sure that she'll hiss when she doesn't want you to follow anymore. Am I getting it right, Karai?"

Karai nodded subtly. "She nodded," Mikey replied for her.

"So then do that. And if someone tries to capture her, stall them long enough to where she can escape. I know she can handle herself, but having some help is good for her." Leo coughed once, about to speak again when his cough turned violent again. Through coughs, he managed to breathe, "I'm gonna go now- j-just do that and- c-come home safe, all of you-" Leo pressed the end button, quickly getting up to get some water.

The three terrapins frowned a bit as Mikey slid his T-Phone into his belt.

"Is he... sick?" Karai asked. This was the first time she had prompted a conversation herself, so it took them by surprise.

"He's a little sick," Mikey replied. "He's being stubborn and is staying up late at night instead of sleeping to heal."

"Typical Leo," Karai mumbled in response. This, in turn, made Raph snort a bit. "It'sss getting laate."

"Mhm," Donnie replied in an obvious tone.

Karai rolled her eyes. "No, asss in, pretty sssoon, I'm going to forget. We should get a headssstart."

"Oh," Donnie said, feeling a bit guilty. "Right. Let's get to it, then."

As the hour grew more late, Karai started to transition away from her self. As she reached the point in which she didn't want them to follow, she hissed. They stopped abruptly, nodding in understanding. They all turned to leave and go separate ways, but Karai stopped. "D...Donatello...?"

Donnie stopped, turning. "Yeah?"

"Will... will you try to find a way... to reverssse this?" Karai asked.

Donnie sighed sadly. "I've been working on it for a while now, even before the-" Donnie cut himself off as Mikey and Raph's eyes widened at him. "Uhm, anyways. It's kind of hard, considering how many species of snakes DNA Shredder put into that vat of mutagen. Mikey is actually helping out, and we're getting closer, but we're not quite there yet. I'll let you- well, I assume Leo will- know when we have it whipped up."

Karai nodded, her body shaking violently for a moment. "Th-thank you... I understand if... you aren't able to find a retromutagen for me..."

Donnie didn't know if it was the pure misery in her tone, or the one thing that threatened his reputation of being able to do most anything, or something else, but he laid a hand on Karai's shoulder- cautiously- and looked her straight in the eyes. "I will find it. Sooner or later, I- we will."

Karai nodded again, then quickly pulled away from his touch. "You should all go now.. I c-can't... sssustain the willpower to..."

Donnie didn't object as she slowly trailed off, taking a jogging start towards his two brothers as Karai slowly lost her ability to comprehend and communicate. They all ran about, looking for a manhole to go into as Karai let out a loud hiss and disappeared. They all stopped in place as she slithered away. They all exchanged looks before climbing down into the sewers, heading home. By the time they reached the lair, Leo had just tossed and turned on the couch, rubbing his eyes. He didn't even notice that they had came home until they all stepped in front of him. He jumped a bit, startled, but them calmed.

"Hey, guys," Leo said. He noticed a look in all of their faces. Something he wasn't familiar with. "What's going on?"

None of them replied immediately. They didn't know what they were feeling, exactly. Raph took a seat at Leo's feet, as he had been doing, trying to find the words. Donnie and Mikey stood there, trying to sort out the words. Leo just glanced at each of them in silence, waiting for an answer. He didn't want to say anything in fear of making them forget. Finally, Mikey spoke up.

"It's like... we feel really bad for her. She didn't do anything to have all of this happen to her..."

"And," Donnie added. "It's like, she sounds even more upset than when she figured out the truth about who her true father was."

"Not upset like, 'oh, I've been lied to my entire life'," Raph joined. "It was like... she was upset with herself... like she somehow feels like she deserves this or something."

Leo nodded, looking down for a moment but then looking at his brothers again.

"She's just," Mikey sighed. "Miserable. And we wanna help her, but we're not even sure if we can..."

Leo extended his arm out for Mikey's hand. Mikey placed his hand in Leo's and sat in front of him. Donnie sat as well, and Raph stared at Leo. Leo smiled a bit, but it was a smile they hadn't recognized. It wasn't sad, warm, wide, tender, or sweet. It was... a plain smile.

"You're determined."


	5. Worst Fear Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This chapter is going to contain some... unhappy details. I'm not sure if I'd call it a trigger warning, but it's the only term that comes to mind. So, be careful. If you skip the chapter, you'll be caught up with what happens in the next one.]

With a blank face, Donnie repeated Leo's last word. "Determined."

Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

"Not to rain on your parade, big brother of mine, but haven't we been determined before?"

"Yeah, like, on every mission?" Raph asked, a scowl on his face.

"No, no. This is different. On missions, we usually know we can succeed. And if we didn't, we eventually could."

"That's kinda how we're feelin' now, though," Mikey replied, dumbfounded.

"Sure. But, there's a lot of doubt that we actually can pull it off. No matter how much time and effort; no matter how many times we come close, and eventually lose it; no matter how good the odds may look at times, there's a big chance that we can't really do it. Am I right?"

The three subtly nodded in response, their shoulders slumping down. Leo sighed softly at this, his smile fading now.

"It's gonna be hard, guys; finding a retromutagen for Karai is going to prove difficult. We have a lot on our plates right now, and getting a chance to reverse her mutation is gonna add on. But we really wanna make it happen, right?"

The three nodded.

"You guys should get some rest. You've had a long day."

The three nodded once again, getting up to get ready for bed. Leo got up to get some more water, as his throat started to feel dry again. He walked back to the couch and lay on it at the same moment his brothers came into the pit. They all settled onto their spots they had been sleeping at since Leo was injured. Leo noticed that their faces were contorted into uncomfortable looks. Before they had a chance to fall deep into slumber, Leo cleared his throat. "Um, guys..."

They all faced him. "Yeah?"

"You... you don't have to sleep here and be uncomfortable for my sake. You should go sleep on your beds. You must miss that."

As they were already rising to their feet, Mikey rubbed his eyes and asked "Are you sure, bro?" through a yawn.

Leo chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Good night, guys."

"Night, Leo," they all mumbled in response, parting ways and going into their rooms. Leo turned on his side and let his slumber take over him, closing his eyes. Finally, he was going to get some sleep!

Or not.

_A vat of bright, glowing green mutagen grasped his attention; the container was gigantic. It stood almost half the height of the entire room! His brothers and he stepped around the room, their guards high as they looked for any signs of enemies. They heard a clanking of chains from above, trying to locate where it was coming from. All their eyes widened as they saw a metal cage hanging oh-so-loosely above the vat, and a figure was inside. A piercing cry bounced around the room._

_"Miwa!" Splinter cried. Seconds after, the Shredder and the rest of the Foot Clain appeared, stepping out of the shadows. "Saki! What are you thinking?!"_

_Shredder bellowed cynically, tilting his head down a bit. "You rat. Don't even try to rescue her; you will face certain death if you do. Surrender now and let me finish what I should have all those years ago."_

_"It was because of you that Shen died! If you care any about her, you will release her daughter!"_

_"I am protecting her," Shredder's blades struck out. "From you."_

_"My sons, get Miwa!"_

_The terrapins turned their heads sharply, nodding immediately. Leo leaped up as the battle began, jumping his way up to the cage. Karai's cries were muffled behind the duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock, her heart racing. Leo carefully got onto the cage, pulling the tape off of her. She drew in a breath, looking up at him._

* * *

_'I'm not good at saying thank you.'_

_'And?'_

_'That's it.'_

* * *

_"Thanks."_

_Leo smiled warmly at her, preparing to extract her from the cage. Just then, he heard the unwanted fateful cry._

_"Leonardo!"_

_Leo turned his head, his eyes widening as he saw Shredder about to swing his arms at him. Leo leaped away, onto a side of the vault, being cautious to not fall in. Everyone's attention was turned as the sound of metal slicing through metal filled the room. Shredder's blades had slashed through the chain holding Karai up, and she was falling. Leo's heart raced as he instinctively leaped towards her, his arms extended in preparation to catch her._

_"Leo!"_

_"Leo, what are you doing?!"_

_"Leo, no!"_

_Karai reached her arms out, ready to be caught. But she was falling too fast, and he just wasn't quick enough. Their fingers brushed, and after that, everything seemed to go into slow motion. Leo's eyes went wide, and his pupils shrunk, watching the kunoichi sink into the mutagen. Not paying attention to his form, Leo fell right down the side of the vat, crashing hard to the floor. Footsteps ran towards him, helping him up as a scream was muffled into the vat. Seeing a pale white and purple limb come out of the vat, they all froze as she fully emerged. She hissed loudly, in what seemed to be with pain and misery, as her new snake form completed._

_Then she lunged towards the rat master, as Saki had originally planned- for the turtles. Karai's new form shocked the Shredder. This was not how the plan was supposed to go; she was simply supposed to be bait! It should have been Leonardo who fell into the mutagen, not her! He smiled as Karai choked the life out of her father, not able to comprehend what she was doing. After the rat's last breath escaped her lips, her sanity snapped back, and she dropped him. She looked at her snake hands and her new form, her eyes filling with grief and horror. She looked up at Shredder, her eyes now shooting daggers like never before._

_"Thisss was your intention?! For me to become a killing tool? Then I will sssatisfy that!" She lunged for him, managing to take his last breath. Her nerves rose and her breathing became frantic. What had she become? Why did this happen to her? What did she do to deserve such a horrible fate? Was her life destined to be nothing but used and stepped over and toyed with?_

_"...outta here! Now!" This caught her attention, and she turned her head sharply._

_"Leo, c'mon! We gotta get outta here! Now!" Raph called out, running with Donnie and Mikey at his side. Leo had just sat there, his body numb and limp from what he just witnessed in one sitting. His eyes meeting with hers, Raph yelled more loudly and with more urge and edge. "Leo! Let's get the shell outta here! I'm not gonna tell you again! Get up!"_

_But Leo couldn't move. His mind couldn't wrap around the concept of Karai mutating, Splinter being killed, and that their chance of reuniting Karai with her true family had been ripped away in a manner of seconds. Karai and Leo's eyes locked, none of them moving or saying a word. They both hadn't even noticed that the building was crumbling around them. Everyone else had either evacuated, been killed, or was waiting for Leo._

_"Leo! Get outta there!" Raph's throat tightened up as he choked back tears. Donnie and Mikey saw Raph's body twitch, and they grabbed his arms before he could lunge to retrieve Leo._

_"Raph, no!" Mikey cried, using all his might to keep Raph there._

_"You'll die, too, Raph! We can't let you!" Donnie hissed through gritted teeth. Raph was a hard guy to hold back._

_"Leo's almost died for us thousands of times! We gotta try!" Raph said, hot tears spilling out of his eyes. "We can't lose two of 'em; we just lost Splinter! We need as many of our family we got left as we can keep!"_

_Mikey and Donnie's eyes swelled with tears, their minds boggling. They were about to release him and join him on the rescue when a beam fell in front of them, blocking their way. Raph pounded his fists against it, screaming. "No! No, no, no! This can't be happening! C'mon, we gotta find another way!"_

_While Raph and the others were trying to find another way, Leo and Karai just sat looking at each other._

_"Karai. I- I'm so-"_

_But a beam fell between their gap, and the roof started to crumble down. Soon, Karai's form wasn't able to be seen. Leo leaped to his feet, panting as he tried to dig through the gravel. "No!"_

_"Leo!"_

_Leo turned his head, wiping away the tears falling down his cheeks. "Raph?!"_

_"Leo, over he-" But the side of the building came crashing down, falling onto the three._

_"Guys!" Leo ran as fast as he could, his feet stumbling. He coughed as the fumes of the flames and the dust of the building filled the air. It was getting too hot, but if there was a chance of saving his brothers, he was damn well going to take it, even if it meant ending his life. Leo rummaged through the debris, gasping as he felt skin. He pulled on it and out came Mikey's body, breathless and pale. Leo's eyes swelled, starting to shake. "M-Mikey... no..." He stopped himself from breaking down, sifting through the debris in hope of finding another. He did, but Donatello had also fallen victim. Leo bit down on his bottom lip so hard that it started to bleed. He saw a green hand moving weakly in the corner of his eye, and rushed towards it. He stopped as he saw that a beam was on Raph's shell, diminishing any hope of saving him. Leo started shaking violently as Raph looked up at him. Raph laughed weakly, then coughed. He grabbed Leo's hand tightly._

_"I... I'm sorry, bro... I couldn't... we couldn't save you... like all the times you had for us... W-we... we failed you."_

_"Raph," Leo's voice raised an octave, his voice breaking. "No, y-you didn't."_

_"We love you, man. G-get outta here, if... if there's still a chance... I'm.. I'm so sorry..."_

_Raph squeezed Leo's hand with all his might as his eyes fluttered shut. Then his hand went limp, and his eyes shut, taking his last breath with him. Leo surveyed the room around him, seeing no possible way to escape. Even if he had, he doubted he would even try to escape. The burden was too much for him; he broke down, grabbing tightly onto Raph's arm. Tears cascaded down his eyes, down Raph's arm, and onto the pile of ashes on the floor. Leo didn't know how he was going to go; smoke inhalation, overheating, falling victim to the crumbling building- he couldn't care less. There was only one thing on his mind. His worst fear had come true._

_" **I failed you all.** "_


	6. The Myth

Leo's erratic breathing and constant tossing and turning had interrupted the rat's slumber. He walked into the common area, expecting the young terrapin to be caught up in a late night show, but that was far from it. Splinter rushed to the turtle, who was shaking violently and getting cold sweats, and shook him.

"Leonardo! My son!" Splinter whispered urgently. "Leonardo! Awaken!"

In Leo's dream, it was as if he was being pulled out of the crumbling, burning building that had claimed its victory of killing all those he loved. When Leo's eyes shot open, he sat up quickly, panting heavily as his eyes swelled up. "No, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I failed you all," he was mumbling to himself, his body feeling numb. He wasn't sure if it was just a horrid nightmare of if he was reliving a moment. Splinter appeared in front of Leo, his eyes arched up into a concerned look. "Leonardo."

Leo's breathing started to calm, but not immediately. His small pupils slowly widened into normal size. "Father?"

Splinter nodded. Leo's lip quivered, and he threw his arms around his Sensei. Leo's fingers dug deeply into Splinter's robe as he buried his face into the crook of Splinter's neck, sobbing violently. Splinter rubbed circles onto Leo's shell, waiting for Leonardo to finish on his own time. This moment made Leo feel like a little kid again, and a bit pathetic. He couldn't even handle a bad dream by himself? _God, I'm so pathetic and weak,_ Leonardo thought to himself. After he ran out of tears to shed, Leo sniffled and pulled away from Splinter, wiping at his face.

"Leonardo. What did you see?" Splinter asked.

"I... I saw you die... and the guys... and Karai..." Leo replied in a whisper. He didn't want to wake the others. "It was when Karai was mutated, and the building caught on fire. Like Shredder's intentions, she killed you. She got mad and killed Shredder in spite. The guys were trying to get me to leave, but I wouldn't, and I don't know why. The building started to fall, and it took Karai. Then Mikey, Donnie, and Raph... and... I don't know if I died in my dream, but..."

Splinter laid a hand on Leo's shoulder. "We are all alive. We are fine."

Leo nodded, looking away. "But Karai isn't."

* * *

There was a myth that Karai had heard on the streets as a child. Bypassers would speak of it, but she had never experienced it, so she brushed it off. But this night terror made her think that the myth could actually be true.

"They say if you dream of someone, they're dreaming of you, too, at the same time."

Karai had experienced the same night terror the terrapin had. The building about to take her as a victim is what woke her. She scanned her surroundings as her heart raced, then looked down at herself, her nerves easing just a slight bit. The mutation part had been accurate, and had actually happened. She was still stuck in this mutation form the Shredder had put upon her. Her vendetta against him increased every day. Her mind scrambled, but a thought stood out out of all the other thoughts and blank slates.

"I must see Leonardo. No matter how."

* * *

Leo and Karai couldn't bare the thought of going back to sleep after such a fright. It had only been an hour and a half of sleep. But with the adrenaline they had, sleep didn't seem like an option anyways. So they had distracted themselves; Karai went to find some objects to strike at and work on her stealth skills, and Leo had tended to cleaning quietly. He had been scolded enough times that he shouldn't train until it seems it's okay to do so. He swept the entire common area, did the dishes, mopped, fed Ice Cream Kitty, and turned off everything that wasn't being used. It was only in a span of 45 minutes. Passing time was going to prove to be difficult.

The sun had started to roll up, as the news channel was showing, so Leo decided to whip up some breakfast for the others whenever they would awaken. He wasn't a master chef in the kitchen, but he knew his way around. Even with his constant experiments, Mikey cooked good meals for all of them to enjoy. Leo knew his cooking wasn't going to be as excelling as Mikey's, but he was going to try anyways. Leo made some toast, eggs, rice and poured some orange juice into glasses. Leo made the dishes and set them on the island, examining his work. Nothing was burnt to a bad degree, nothing was under cooked. To Leo, it was a success!

Leo made himself some tea and went to the pit to eat in peace. After a few minutes, he heard doors opening and loud yawns. Then there was the sound of sniffing and hurried footsteps. Mikey's eyes widened as he looked at Leo. Leo waved, smiling a bit as Mikey walked towards him. Raph and Donnie soon followed.

"Dude, did Splinter make breakfast?" Mikey asked, licking his lips. "That looks really good!"

Leo's lips went into a thin line, then he smiled. "I made it."

Mikey's mouth went agape. "You did?"

"Yep."

"Is there any extra?"

"I made you guys some plates of your own," Leo replied. Donnie, Raph and Mikey's faces all perked up, facing the kitchen. "And yeah, it's still warm." They all immediately ran into the kitchen, then came back out with their own plates. They all took a seat and tried it out. After one bite, they all started digging in enthusiastically, to which Leo chuckled to. In the span of minutes, their plates were cleaned off. They gulped down their orange juice, letting out satisfied 'ahh's. Mikey stared intently at Leo, then frowned a bit.

Leo lowered his cup of tea. "What's the matter?"

"Your cooking is almost as good as mine," Mikey replied, crossing his arms over his plastron. "Stop it."

"Sorry; I've had a lot of time to myself lately, if you didn't notice." Leo booped the top of Mikey's head, earning back a huff. "I can take your dishes off your hands, guys," Leo offered, starting to get up. The three rose, making Leo freeze. "What?"

"You're not in pain?" Raph asked.

"Not really," Leo replied. "I mean, I cooked and cleaned and I didn't double over in pain at all. I'm fine."

Raph raised a brow. "I'll do it," he replied, going around and collecting the dishes. "You've done enough."

Leo settled back down, a bit confused. "Okay. Thanks."

"No biggie. Be back in a sec. Don't miss me too much."

Leo laughed a bit while Donnie and Mikey rolled their eyes, turning their attention to the TV.

* * *

Meanwhile, Karai had left her hideout and went to slither around New York. She wasn't sure what exactly she was doing, but it was passing the time, at least. As the sun rolled up, so did some gray clouds. Karai scurried under a billboard as rain came pouring down. After some minutes, she managed to pull a thought. _Maybe Leonardo will be healed enough to come on patrol tonight. Hopefully that is so_. Her mind was about to go blank, but a part of her pushed that back. _If not, I will locate him myself_. An hour had passed and the rain had not ceased at all. Karai slithered out and roamed around New York in the shadows, away from the people. Usually at this hour, none of the Foot were out looking for her. This time, though, it was different.

"Hey! I gotchu!" Bebop shrieked, pointing directly at her. "Dude, look! I told ya she came outta hiding early!"

"Now is not the time for the gloating, comrade," Rocksteady replied. "Retrieve her!"

They both ran towards her, parting ways to cover more ground. Karai groaned internally as she searched for escape routes. She found one; the pier was nearby, and she could easily dive in and escape. She headed that way, hoping that her head start would be to her advantage. Unfortunately, Bebop had jumped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Nuh uh, girl, you're comin' with us! Master Shredder has been dyin' to get you back. We don't aim to disappoint!"

Karai snarled, lunging one of her snake arms towards the warthog. He winced, jumping back as it almost bit him. She was about to go into a blind rage attack when two big arms wrapped around her, disarming her. She writhed violently, trying to free herself from Rocksteady's hold. It was too early for this!

"Ayy, good job, man! Shredder's gonna flip!"

"Let us return; I need more sleep."

As they started to turn, Karai did the only thing she could do; she slithered an arm around Bebop and positioned her head to Rocksteady's upper arm, swiftly digging her fangs deep into their arms. Rocksteady pulled back and yelped, pushing her away as he and Bebop raised their hands to the bite marks. She didn't hesitate to slither towards the water again. She leaped up, diving into the cold water, swimming down in the deep. She looked up and squinted as the two numskulls hovered over, looked at each other, then walked away. She swam until she felt it was safe enough to emerge. The rain, the water and the temperature of New York was not helping her nerves, but it was keeping her aware. She looked up at a store sign in the distance, reading the time. Only 10am.

Wonderful.

* * *

After being bored from sitting around and watching the news, Mikey and Donnie got up and went to go do their own things. Donnie went to go work on the retromutagen for Karai, and Mikey went to play some pinball. Leo and Raph were left alone, blankly looking at the screen. Leo was getting weird vibes from Raph, but he didn't want to say anything if nothing was up, so he stayed quiet. Finally, Raph stood up and sighed, turning to face Leo. Raph put his hands to his hips, looking down at Leo. Leo met Raph's gaze.

"Something up, Raph?"

Raph took a seat in front of him. "Damn right."

Leo's eyes widened a bit. "Uhm, okay... what is it?"

Raph drew in a breath. "The roof."

Leo was confused for a minute, then he got it. His face fell, unamused, as Raph laughed, slapping his knee. "God, I'm funny!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "And here you had me worried."

"Well, I know you didn't get much sleep," Raph replied, throwing Leo off guard. "When you haven't had enough sleep, you either are too nice or too mean."

Leo moved his head back a bit. "What do you mean, 'too'?"

"More than usual. Y'know. Am I wrong?"

"I'm always nice, for your information," Leo argued. "And I'm not that-"

"No, you shell for brains. You didn't get a lot of sleep."

"Oh." Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Why not? Did you need the comfort of knowing I was right next to you?" Raph teased, chuckling as Leo pushed him playfully. "Nah, but seriously. Do you need us to sleep with you tonight?"

Leo turned his head away. "No."

"Hey, why are ya mad?"

"I'm not mad."

"You got serious."

"It's..." Leo sighed. "I don't know. I know I can sleep fine on my own, but it was just..."

Raph sat up a bit more straight. "Just what?"

"I... had a nightmare."

"God, we really do need to be around ya then, huh? Can't handle a night yourself?" Raph replied. When Leo didn't smile or laugh in response, Raph's face fell. "Hey, I didn't mean it-"

"No, I know."

"Leo," Raph said sternly. "Don't hold back on me. Tell me."

Leo sighed again, starting to lay down. "It was about that day Karai got mutated."

Raph nodded. "Okay."

"But... it was under different circumstances."

"Whatcha mean?"

"Everything happened like how it did, but with different dialogue, and Karai fell into the mutagen. But this time, when she came out, she actually... killed Splinter." Hearing Raph draw in a breath, Leo continued. "Then, out of blind anger, she killed Shredder. Then the building was on fire... and you guys were trying to make me escape with you, but I couldn't move. She and I just stared at each other, and I was about to say something, but the building started to collapse, and it made its mark on her. Then I saw you guys and you were yelling for me to come on, but that side of the building fell down, too. I rushed to you guys. Mikey and Donnie were..."

Leo grabbed fistfuls of the blanket on his lap, his hands trembling as he slowly started to sit up. "They fell victim to it, too. I got to you, and I wanted to save you, but... there was a beam on you, and it was too heavy and too hot to lift up. And you were telling me that you guys failed me and that you loved me... and then you..." Leo's breathing faltered, and he was staring out like he wasn't even sitting in the pit with Raph; it was as if he was in that nightmare again, reliving the moments all over. When Leo didn't go on after that and wouldn't look at Raph, Raph became confused. He looked at Leo and noticed that he was staring intensely at the wall, and like he was somewhere else. Raph shook Leo lightly, trying not to alarm him.

"Leo." Raph said softly. No response. Raph shook a bit more. "Leo." Nothing. Raph had been through this before; reliving the moments of Leo being thrown through the window, New York being turned into a Dimension X, all those months waiting for Leo to wake up, all those times he almost lost his family, having the mind worm inside his head- Raph knew what was happening to Leo right now. Raph stood and grabbed Leo by both arms, roughly shaking him. "Leo. Leo. Leo! Leonardo!" Raph raised his voice. Leo blinked his eyes rapidly, his breathing hitched as his eyes focused on Raph. Leo's eyes went soft, and he raised a hand to his head.

"Raph, I..."

"I know."

Leo's eyes went small as Raph gave him a compassionate and pitying look. Leo breathed out, closing his eyes. "I don't know," Leo mumbled, pulling the blanket over himself. "I guess I do need you guys to sleep around me."

Not wanting to see Leo go into a self-wallowing period, Raph pulled Leo's blue duck blanket off of him. Leo groaned a bit. "C'mon."

"What."

"We're gonna go outside."

Leo's head raised a bit. "But it's raining."

"We're gonna do the thing on the roof. C'mon."

Leo slowly sat up, taking Raph's offering hand. Raph held out a coat that they had found and told Leo to put it on. Leo didn't argue; he didn't want to get any more sick than he already was. Raph popped in the training area, finding Splinter meditating. He hated to interrupt, but he didn't want to leave without telling Splinter. He had decided to fill Splinter in on most everything with the second chance. "Uhm, Master Splinter?"

Splinter opened his eyes. "Raphael?"

"I'm takin' Leo out."

"Don't stay out too long, or you will get sick."

Raph nodded. "We'll be back." Raph was about to turn to leave, but added "Love ya."

Splinter smiled a bit. "Love you too. Be careful."

Raph nodded again, trying his hardest to get his red-hot cheeks to fade away. "C'mon, Leo. Let's get to it."

Leo noticed Raph bowing his head down. Leo smiled and caught up to Raph. "Are you blushing?"

"Sh-shut up!" Raph punched Leo, turning red as Leo laughed heartily.

* * *

Karai had managed to find her way to the rooftops once again. She had emerged in a busy spot full of people out for breakfast. On a rainy day. This boggled her mind, but she managed to slip past them and make her way up. She sat on a roof, hiding inside a little hut built on top of the roof. She had grown cold, so she sought some warmth. The bright light inside the hut provided little warmth, but any would satisfy her. She suddenly heard some footsteps from outside the hut. She stiffened, fearing that the Foot were looking for her once again. There was a little hole on the side of the hut, so she peeked out of it. Her nerves eased as she saw two terrapins.

"So, remind me how this work again," Raph said as he sat down alongside Leo. "This thing you do."

"There's not much to it," Leo replied. You just lean back, tilt your head up, and let the rain fall on you."

"...what's the point of it?"

"Just do it," Leo scolded, waving his hand. "Put your hands on the roof, lean back a bit, tilt you head up, and..." Leo sighed contently. "Relax."

Raph was doubtful of this, but he tried it out anyways. After a few minutes, his hand slipped back a bit, giving him the advantage of leaning back more. Raph felt a certain ease cascade over him; an ease he hadn't experienced before. It felt as if all his troubles and worries were washing away in an instant and he was left with nothing but calm. Leo opened his eye to look at Raph, and when he saw that Raph was fully into it, Leo smiled and focused on himself. He evened his breathing, letting his thoughts roam. For a long moment, everything felt nice. Then the image of Karai in ruins made Leo suck in a breath and sit straight up. He shook his head, looking over at Raph again, who was still fully into his trance. Leo stood up slowly and carefully so as not to interrupt Raph, then started pacing around the roof as the rain started to come down even harder.

Leo's head snapped around when he heard a door open from the hut. He ran to Raph's side, his hands instinctively going to where his katanas should be. But he didn't bring them. Leo cursed under his breath, shaking Raph. Raph tried shoving him off, but Leo wouldn't have it. "Raph, someone's up here."

That caught Raph's attention. He got to his feet, running with Leo to hide behind something. When they saw Karai come out, they stepped out slowly. They stopped in their place as Karai started to approach them. Raph took a step forward, his hand on Leo's plastron as he took a protective stance in front of Leo.

"Raphael... I mean no harm."

Raph lowered his hand, but was still watching her intently as Leo stepped forward. "Karai, what are you doing out here?" Leo asked. "Aren't you worried about the Foot looking for you?"

"I... already bumped into them."

"Did they hurt you?"

Karai laughed a bit. "It'sss them you should be worried about, Leonardo."

Raphael couldn't help but to smile at this. _She always did have spunk_. Karai noticed Raph's smile and returned a nod. Raph noticed that she was shivering a bit, and look over at the coat Leo was wearing. _She must be freezing_ , Raph thought to himself. _She's probably been out here ever since she woke up_. Raph nudged Leo, nodding his head subtly at Karai's shaking form. Leo nodded and removed his coat, offering it to Karai.

"Thank you," she replied, sliding it on. "Leonardo, I wasss... meaning to assk you sssomething."

"What is it?"

Karai looked over at Raph for a moment, then looked at Leo again. "I had a... interesting dream."

Leo raised his brow.

"It wasss about the day that I... wasss mutated... but I had... killed Splinter and the Shredder."

Leo's posture stiffened.

"And... you were about to sspeak... but the building wasss on fire and... it was collapsing... and it took me down withh it..."

"I had that dream, too."

"Ssso... it isss true, then."

"What is?"

"The myth the humans talk about sometimesss... how if you dream of sssomeone, they dreamed of you, too."

Leo's cheeks warmed a bit at this. "Really? I hadn't heard that before."

Karai sighed a bit. "Leonardo... I tire of this."

Leo raised his head a bit. "Of what?"

"This fate."

Leo and Raph exchanged awkward looks, looking away. "I know you must be," Leo replied quietly. "If only I had jumped sooner..."

"It's not your fault," Raph and Karai hissed in unison.

"Leo, I seek revenge on Shredder."

Leo's eyes went stern. "Karai, no offense, but that's... kinda why you ended up in that cage in the first place."

Raph's eyes shot daggers at Leo. Even he knew that's something that shouldn't be said out loud. "Dude, the shell?" Raph spat quietly. Leo sighed, shrugging.

"Sorry."

"No, you are right. But... Shredder wantsss me to be another one of hisss killing tools... why not show him how great his plan was... with him as the example?"

Leo took a step back. "I, uh, don't think that's a good idea. I know you want justice, Karai, but killing him won't help."

"How would you know."

"I don't. It might lessen the pain for a while, but in the end, it's another thought that's going to protrude your thoughts and make you feel guilty. It's going to feel like something's crawling on your back, and you're going to think, 'there was a better way than this.' It's not worth it. You don't need to add on to your pain."

Raph shot Leo a baffled look. "Why do you talk like you've experienced it before?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. I just imagine that's what it must feel like."

Leo's words were enough to change Karai's mind, if only just a bit. "Fffine. I won't."

"We'll give you your life back, Karai," Leo said. "I'll make sure of it."

"No kiddin', he will," Raph replied. "Won't shut up about it."

"Raph, would you-" Leo punched Raph, earning a laugh from Karai and Raph. Leo felt his T-Phone buzz and looked at the caller ID. "We gotta go. Mikey and Donnie are worrying."

Karai was about to slip the coat off when Raph stopped her. "Keep it. Family's gotta look out for each other."

Karai nodded gratefully, watching as the two terrapins left the rooftops. She glanced down at the coat, thinking for a moment. "...family."


	7. What's the Buzz All About?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This will be based on weeks that have passed since their last encounter.]

Keeping his word, Leo and the turtles made Karai their top priority and were trying many ways to make retromutagen for her. With Mikey and April's help, Donnie would find samples to test out and see how it would result. So far, nothing had really went their way. There were breakthroughs, and they made sure to use each with every trial. While they did trials, Leo and Raph would take to the streets, on patrol to protect Karai from the Foot while fighting crime. Sometimes, Casey would join them, as he still sought for action and wanted to keep his image of a vigilante. Casey and April hadn't bumped into Karai themselves when they were away from the turtles, so they could only trust the word of the turtles that she was slowly but surely losing her control over herself. After weeks of hard work, one day, Leo became very disgruntled, and he stormed out of the lair so suddenly.

Mikey took a step forward, but Raph clasped his hand on Mikey's shoulder, stopping him. "I got it, li'l brother. You go help Don, okay?" Mikey nodded, watching as Raph grabbed his sais and ran after Leo. Mikey sighed, joining Donnie in the lab. "Leo! Where are you goin'?" Raph yelled behind a sprinting Leo. Leo wouldn't answer Raph's calls. "Leo, stop!" "Leo, c'mon!" "Wait up!" Raph barely managed to catch up with him, but once he did, he grabbed one of Leo's arms and forced him to turn, shoving him into a wall.

"Don't you ever ignore me you f-" Raph sighed heavily, glaring at Leo. "What are you so worked up about?"

"Let me go, Raph," Leo spat, his voice low.

"No. You're not leavin' until you tell me what the shell is goin' on."

"Just let me handle it!"

"You're not alone, remember?!" Raph yelled, his eyes narrow. "It's not you against the world, okay? Do I always have to fuckin' remind you? We're right beside you, Leo, you gotta keep that in your head."

"I don't want you beside me right now."

"You don't mean that. I know you're pissed or whatever, but I know you don't mean that. Now whenever you're ready to tell me, you can tell me."

"Can you at least not have your arm pressing into my throat?"

"Are you gonna tell me?"

"I don't have much of a choice either way," Leo coughed, managing to get Raph's arm off of himself. "You really wanna know?"

"Shell, have I not been asking?" Raph hissed. "Yes, I do. Tell me. What's wrong?"

Leo sighed, straightening his posture. "Stockman."

Raph stepped back a bit. "Stockman?"

"He's the one who made the mutagen that made Karai the way she is. He's got to know how to reverse it."

Raph raised a brow. "Okay, so let's get him to talk, then."

"I was going to."

"Why didn't you tell me? I mean, it's a reason to be mad, but why are you this upset about it?"

"Because I should have thought of it so much earlier," Leo replied, looking down. "I couldn't believe how long it took me to realize that he could know how to reverse it. It should have been one of the first thoughts to pop in my head. It should have been the first thing we should have considered."

"You're being too hard on yourself." Leo didn't look up at this. "But, that isn't new." Leo glanced up, punching Raph in the arm roughly, but playfully, and raised his head.

"Shut up."

"C'mon, let's go see what the _buzz_ is all about."

Leo and Raph started running through the sewers in silence, but it wasn't until they reached the ladder when Leo understood Raph's pun. "Raph, you're not funny," Leo said through a chuckle, letting Raph climb up first.

Raph grinned down at him, smirking. "Then why are you laughing?"

* * *

While the two older turtles went searching for Stockman, Donnie, Mikey and April all sighed as they watched another trial blow up. Literally.

Mikey mindlessly wiped off the counter, groaning. "How many more of these is it gonna take to finally get it right?"

April wiped at her brow, placing a hand on her hip. "I don't know. Are we even making any progress?"

"Of course we are," Donnie replied oh so quickly. Donnie had tried very hard to shove his frustration down inside him, but lately, he wasn't hiding it well. "We've made a lot of breakthroughs, after all, haven't we?"

"Chill, D," Mikey replied, raising his hands in front of him in a surrendering manner. "We're all frustrated, and we know you really are."

"I didn't mean to strike a nerve," April said, rubbing her arm. "Sorry, Donnie. I know you're kind of... self-doubtful."

Donnie turned his head away. "I never implied that."

"No, but we know how you are," April said, moving to his side. She bent down a bit, caressing the terrapin's cheek. "Don't get so down about it, okay? We'll get it eventually."

Donnie couldn't help but to sigh. "How long will eventually be, though?" Donnie mumbled, letting his head rest in April's hand. "This is getting exhausting, but we all really wanna get Karai to herself again, and help her get her second chance in life."

"Then that's our push. C'mon, why don't we just do one more trial and call it a night, guys?" April suggested. They both grunted, crossing their arms. "I know you two are eager to try out more, but you two are getting sleep-deprived. Barely getting 3 hours of sleep a day isn't good for you guys, and you know it. I bet training is more tiring than ever, and the punishments feel more painful than ever. Am I right?"

They both nodded solemnly, but they still didn't like the idea of just doing one more. But, with the stern and tired look April was giving them, they knew better than to argue.

* * *

Creeping around the corner of a building nearby Shredder's lair, Raph and Leo looked around, making sure the coast was clear for them to cross the street. Leo gave Raph a nod, and they both immediately dashed across. Leo was looking for ways to get to the rooftop without having to search for a building with an outside staircase- he wanted to get inside as quick as possible, and he didn't want Splinter to notice that they were gone. Raph tapped on Leo's shoulder, getting his attention as he waved the grappling hook gun in his other hand. Leo smiled as Raph gave him a wink and aimed up at the roof. Tugging on it to make sure it was secure, Raph gave Leo a boost, then climbed behind him.

They found a way to get in through the roof and carefully stepped around, making sure that they wouldn't be heard or seen. They crept until they were in Stockman's area of the building, pausing as they saw Stockman tending to...

Raph and Leo threw their hands over Raph's mouth as they watched Stockman eating a late night snack. Its contents? Bugs. So many bugs. Raph tried his best to gulp down the groan he wanted to let out, and he succeeded. Leo took a quick scan around the room to see if any other henchmen were lingering around, but it seemed to just be Stockman. Raph grabbed onto a nearby bar, taking a moment to get his breathing back to normal. Leo patted Raph's shell, waiting for him. After a minute, Raph patted Leo's arm, standing up straight. They both grinned, then jumped down to land in front of the gigantic fly. Before Stockman could make any sudden movements, Raph and Leo threw him onto a nearby adjustable table and strapped him in.

"Wh-wh-what d-do you th-think y-you're doing?!" Stockman buzzed. "R-releasse me!"

"Can't," Raph said flatly. "I'd prolly squish ya into the ground if you were outta those straps."

"Now now," Leo chuckled. "We just need to ask you a couple of questions."

"I w-won't utter a word t-to you s-scum!"

"Look who's talkin'," Raph retorted. Stockman managed to spit green ooze at Raph, but Raph dodged it. Raph bucked his face towards the insect. "You wanna try that again you f-"

"Raph," Leo hissed lowly. "Not now." Raph crossed his arms over his plastron, rolling his eyes and letting out a huff. "You're the one who made the mutagen that mutated Karai," Leo said matter-of-factly.

"Yesss. What of it."

"You should therefore know how to reverse her mutation."

Stockman laughed. "Th-there's n-no h-hope of her r-returning to n-normal!" Leo tightened his fist, his eyes narrowing and his glare cut daggers. "Th-that mu-mutagen had more th-than one s-species of snakes in it, it's b-barely possible to even find a r-retromutagen for her."

Leo was stumped. Raph glanced at Leo and could see that Leo was about to either snap or turn to leave. But Leo instead raised his head, a vile smirk on his face; something Raph hadn't seen before. It was an oxymoron at work. Something usually so nice and pleasing made to be something dark instead. Raph shivered a bit; he was kind of excited yet nervous to see what Leo was about to say or do. Leo slammed a hand besides Stockman's head, closing the gap between his face and Stockman's.

"Ah, but that's not true, is it. I mean, Shredder wants her back here, right? He expects you to reverse her mutation so he can have his 'daughter' back if you guys ever manage to get her. What's gonna happen if they get her and bring her here? You're gonna reverse it, right?" Leo leaned in so close that he could see little reflections of himself in Stockman's huge eyes. Stockman began to get twitchy. Leo raised his brow, grinning again. "Ah. I see. Does he not know that you don't have a way to reverse her mutation? Is that it? You can't reverse it?"

"O-of c-course I can!" Stockman replied.

"Then I'm gonna need to know the way to do that. Or else, Shredder is gonna learn the truth, and it's not going to be pleasant for either of you. Especially you."


	8. Look Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This is going to be a pretty lengthy chapter, I hope you don't mind! ❤]

Slipping out of the building with ease, Leo and Raph started leaping over rooftops, looking around for Karai for a bit. They were about to stop when they bumped into something and fell back. Leo jumped back up and was about to pull out his katanas when he saw what they had bumped in to.

"Karai," Leo said, releasing his grip on his katanas. "Sorry. Didn't see you there."

Karai hissed defensively, not in her right mind at the moment. She was prepared to lunge at Leo, hissing in his face fiercely. When he didn't flinch or even move, Karai's eyes slowly flashed with recognition. "Sssorry."

"Don't worry about it," Leo replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Thanks for the help," Raph mumbled as he got up and dusted himself off. "What are you doin' so close to Shredder's lair, Karai?"

She didn't reply, only looked away.

"You weren't planning to go in there and attack them, were you, Karai?" Leo asked, placing his hands firmly on his sides.

"No, I don't know how I ended up here," Karai replied. "I wassn't in my rright mind." Before awkward silence could take place, Karai noticed the paper in Leo's hand. "What'ss that?"

Leo lifted his hand up, a big smile flashing on his face. "Oh, it's something Stockman gave to us."

"Gave? What iss it?"

"It's supposedly the way to reverse your mutation," Raph replied. "But we're not-"

"This is a step closer to getting you back to yourself," Leo interrupted, his eyes tender. "You'll be yourself in no time."

Raph's mouth went thin lined. He wished Leo didn't get such high hopes so soon when they didn't even have proof of it being true yet. It'd hurt them all. Instead of joining in Leo's hopeful attitude, Karai raised a brow and went back a bit. "Leo... we don't know.. what that could actually be..." she said, eyeing it suspiciously.

Leo's face fell a bit. He hadn't thought of that. "Whatever it is, we're gonna test it out first before we actually give it to you. I wouldn't intentionally give you false hope, Karai. We're going to give you your life back, okay?"

Karai nodded quickly, slithering backwards. "I musst... go..." Karai hissed, her eyes shutting tightly. Leo frowned a bit as he watched her control slip away. Raph sighed and grabbed Leo, pulling him away before Karai could possibly attack them with her control over her mind now gone. As he and Leo left her behind, Raph could head Leo mumble, "It's going to work."

* * *

"Leo, we don't even know if it's the real deal."

Leo chuckled, tilting his head down, a sinister grin on his face. "Well, if it's not, then no more Mr. Nice Guy."

Raph twisted his body back straight, staring straight ahead as he and Leo were walking back to the lair. He glanced at Leo occasionally, seeing a glint in his eye that he hadn't seen in Leo before. Raph knew that Leo was serious about the whole Snakarai situation, but he hadn't thought it would be this serious. It was about 9 o'clock at night. Not too late at all! The encounter with Stockman was only a few minutes, so Leo and Raph took to taking patrol for a while before they headed home. Leo had the paper clutched tightly in his hand, like he was afraid it would slip away from him somehow. Raph noticed Leo's tight grip on the paper, eyeing him.

"Hold it any tighter and you'll tear it," Raph commented, looking back ahead. "Loosen up, Leo. Don't get all broody."

"I'm not being broo-"

"Yeah, you're not yet. But with this act you're puttin' up, you're bound to be soon."

Leo stopped suddenly, eyeing Raph suspiciously. "When did you get so..."

Raph stared back at Leo. "So what?"

"So.. I don't know... wise, I guess is the word."

Raph turned so that his carapace was the only thing Leo would be looking at. "The invasion. It changed us all, even if you don't see it yet."

Leo's confidence and adrenaline rush he got from the encounter all swept away. He didn't know whether Raph was referring to the Kraang invasion or the Triceraton invasion, but he didn't think it was really relevant; both the invasions took a toll on all of them. "Raph..."

"We've all got real serious. I mean, yeah, we're still dumb and goof off, but we lock down really quick when it comes to something serious or complicated or whatever. We gotta look out for each other. We've been through a lot; things that regular people shouldn't have to go through never mind shouldn't manage to even survive through. I'll be damned if I let something happen to my family again." Raph turned to face Leo now, his green eyes piercing into Leo's blue ones. "We're all serious about getting Karai back, but we can't get broody about it, or it'll throw everything we've worked for to help her off. So you," Raph stepped up to Leo, pressing his finger into Leo's plastron, "Can't get broody and shut us out. You need to let us in and talk to us. If not, then all of this wouldn't have a point. Got it?"

At this, Leo would have probably argued back with Raph and would try to defend himself, but Raph was right. Leo nodded. "Okay." Raph straightened his posture and was about to turn to walk again, when Leo pulled Raph into a tight embrace. Raph's hands froze and his breath caught in his throat. "I love you."

Raph didn't move for a moment. He sighed, finally hugging Leo back as his anger melted away. "Love you too. Sorry for bein' so hard on ya."

"No, it's okay. If you can't snap me back into place, with the exception of Splinter, I don't know what would."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to return home. They waltzed into Donatello's lab, both stunned as they saw April, Mikey and Donnie cleaning up yet another failed trial. Hearing the doors slide open, Mikey and April's heads snapped around. They stood up, offering a little wave before getting back to cleaning. Leo and Raph looked at Donnie, whose face was contorted into an upset yet angered look, so they started to help clean up. When everything was cleaned, April stretched her arms up and yawned, announcing she was going to leave.

"Wait!" Leo said, the paper clutched in his hand still. "We-"

Raph pushed Leo's arm down before he could raise it, shaking his head at the leader.

"What is it, Leo?" April asked. "Is something wrong?"

Leo sighed a bit, then closed his eyes. He looked at April, a small smile on his face. "No.. never mind. We can worry about it later. You have a good night, April," Leo replied, waving at her.

"Are you sure?" April asked, already heading for the exit.

"Yeah, you go on home. Stay safe," Leo responded, waving her out.

April nodded, smiling. "I will, don't worry. Night, guys."

"Night, April," the four terrapins replied, watching her go. As soon as she was out of sight, Mikey and Donnie collapsed, letting out huge, tired sighs. Clearly they were not up for another trial despite their determination. Leo looked down at the paper in his hand, stuffing it in his belt. Raph offered Leo a pat on the shoulder before he went over to the younger siblings, checking on them. Leo shook himself out of his trance and assisted Raph, checking on Mikey.

"You okay, Mikey?" Leo asked, lifting Mikey's head up from the floor gently. Mikey moaned quietly, his eyes shut. He curled his body towards Leo's. Leo rolled his eyes and chuckled, getting the message. He slipped his arms under Mikey's head and under his kneecaps, slowly getting to his feet with Mikey in his arms. "All right, let's get you to bed, you goofball." Mikey stirred in Leo's arms, uttering something uncomprehending as Leo reached Mikey's room.

Raphael shook Donnie lightly, trying to see if Donnie was completely knocked out or if he was just laying down. When Donnie lamely smacked Raph's arm away, Raph smiled a bit. "Hey, Don, do you need me to carry you to bed, too?" Raph teased. Donnie didn't respond, just turned away more from Raph. Raph raised a brow, turning Donnie so that he was facing him. Donnie grumbled and tried pushing Raph away, but with little success. Raph stumbled back a bit, letting out a huff. "Donnie. C'mon, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Bull."

"Can we not talk about it?"

Raph made Donnie sit up this time, his arms firm on Donnie's shoulders. "You can't shut us out. There ain't no way I'm gonna let ya shut me out, especially. What's the matter? Are you mad at yourself 'cause you haven't found out how to make the retromutagen for Karai yet?" Donnie turned his head away at this. "Is that it?"

Donnie nodded slightly. "Yeah. I should have found it by now! I'm so-"

Raph got Donnie to his feet, stopping Donnie before he could insult himself. "No, you aren't. You gotta struggle to get there, Don. Alright? Let's get you to bed."

"But-"

"Nooooope," Raph interrupted, starting the walk to Donnie's room. "Worry about it tomorrow. Right now, you're burned out and frustrated. You gotta get some sleep. If I catch ya awake before me, I'll bop ya."

Donnie sighed, rubbing his aching head. "Fine. Can I get something for my head, at least?"

"I'll get it. You settle on in your bed for once, all right?" Raph pointed to Donnie's bed, which looked like it hadn't been used for days. Donnie rolled his eyes as he slipped in his bed, taking his mask off and setting it to the side. Raph came back with a glass of water and two pills, handing it to Donnie. When Donnie finished gulping it down and handed the glass back to Raph, he gave Raph a weird look. Raph noticed this, stopping in place. "What?"

"Why are you being so... what's the word..."

Raph sighed. "Nice?"

Donnie shrugged. "Sure, let's go with that."

Raph knelt down by Donnie's bed, looking Donnie dead in the eye. "Things change. We gotta look out for each other. You know that."

Donnie nodded. "Yeah, but-"

"I've almost lost you guys too much, all right? I'm tryna be more nice and supportive to you guys so that we can all avoid more unnecessary mishaps."

Donnie didn't reply, he only nodded again. "Okay. Thanks, by the way, for looking out for us. Night."

"Night, Donnie. Get some decent hours of sleep, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Donnie yawned. Before he turned to leave, Raph gave Donnie a punch in the arm, earning a yelp. "What was that for?"

"Don't think I'ma not bop ya sometimes," Raph smirked. "Who else is gonna do that?"

Donnie laughed a bit, turning on his side. "True, plus it wouldn't be the same. Now could you get out? I need to sleep!"

Raph stuck his tongue out, closing the door. He and Leo bumped into each other, sharing a little laugh as they headed into the pit. Master Splinter was waiting for them there, spooking the two turtles for a moment. "Hey, Sensei," they said in unison.

"How was your patrol?" Master Splinter asked.

"It was okay," Leo replied. "We bumped into Karai."

"Is she all right?"

"She's fine, Sensei," Raph replied. "She knows how to handle herself, even in the state she's in. Pretty fierce."

Splinter smiled warmly at this. Splinter's eyes caught a glimpse of a corner of the paper stuffed in Leo's belt and eyed it suspiciously. He stepped towards Leo, pulling the paper out and reading it. Leo began to feel nervous, he and Raph glancing at each other. "What is this?"

"Uhm, it's a potential cure for Karai," Leo replied slowly. "We got it from Stockman."

Splinter's eyes shot wide open at this, then he narrowed them. "You should have told me, Leonardo. Going without help is-"

"I went with him, Sensei," Raph stepped in. "I should have told you sooner. I was going to before we went to sleep. Sorry."

Splinter was still baffled at how honest and open Raph was being all of a sudden, but he thought of it as a step forward. He hummed lowly, looking at Raph now. "Next time, inform me and bring your other brothers. You four need to work together."

Leo and Raph bowed down. "Hai, Sensei."

"We'll work on this tomorrow. We do not know if Stockman has truly given us a way to reverse Karai's condition, so we must use caution as we test this. Understood?"

"Hai, Sensei."

Splinter patted both of their heads, offering a smile as he began to turn. "Good night, my sons."

"Night, Sensei!" They both replied, starting to settle onto the couch. As soon as Splinter was gone, Leo turned to Raph, eyeing him.

"You know Splinter is still surprised at you telling him more things than usual, right?"

Raph chuckled a bit, nodding. "Yeah, I can tell by his eyes. I know all of you guys are, too. I think Splinter's a li'l surprised at you kind of holding back."

Leo smiled bashfully at this. "I'm not trying to, I guess it's just happening."

"Yeah, I getcha," Raph replied, switching the channels. "You think him not knowing what's going on will protect him from harm, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"That's not always the case, big bro. I had to learn that the hard way. Take this second chance seriously, man."

"I am!" Leo replied, shoving Raph with a smile. "Well, I guess I'm just too cooped up about Karai."

"We all are. But that can't be your entire focus, Leo. We all gotta-"

"Look out for each other, I know." Leo and Raph exchanged smile, and it was then they realized how tired they both were. "We should get some sleep. We gotta test this thing out and see if it's the real deal."

Raph and Leo started laying down on the couch. "Leo, if it doesn't work, you can't get broody."

"I can't with you constantly breathing down my neck," Leo smirked, rolling on his side and throwing some of the blanket to Raph. "Whatever happens, we gotta move on from there."

Raph smiled tiredly, his eyes shutting almost immediately. "Atta boy."

* * *

Raphael was the first one to stir, surprisingly. He stretched his limbs out, freezing as his foot grazed the top of Leo's head. Leo's nuzzle scrunched up a bit as he tossed, then his face relaxed and he fell back asleep. Raph let out a relieved, quiet sigh, slowly sliding off of the couch. He looked at the TV, and the time was currently 10am. Raph smacked his mouth dryly, going and freshening up. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw Mikey leaning against his door, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Raph smiled, rubbing Mikey's head gently.

"Mornin', Raph," Mikey yawned quietly.

"Whatcha doin' up so early, little brother?"

Mikey shrugged. "Couldn't sleep anymore, I guess. You?"

Raph smiled. "Same here. Let's get something to eat, yeah?"

"Sure, I'll whip something up in a little bit," Mikey replied.

"No, no," Raph said, halting Mikey. "I mean, let's get some breakfast from the surface."

Mikey stared at Raph, baffled. "Uhm, you do remember that we're mutants, right?"

"We can get April or Casey to get us something. I know April's up around this time. We could eat with her."

Mikey smiled warmly. "Okay, sure!" Then Mikey's face fell a bit. "I, uh, don't have money to pay her to get me something, though."

"I gotcha covered. Just freshen up, and I'll tell Splinter, okay?"

Mikey flashed a beaming smile, his wide eyes complimenting it oh-so well. Raph couldn't help but to smile back as Mikey went to get ready, practically bouncing with every step he took. Raph turned and headed for the training area, then facing the doors that held a sleeping Master Splinter. Raph opened it slowly, peeking his head in. Splinter's ear flickered at the motion, and he quickly rose. "Raphael, good morning, my son."

Raph smiled sheepishly. "Morning, Sensei. So, I was wondering, if it's all right with you, Mikey and I wanna go up and grab something to eat with April."

Splinter turned and stood, smiling down at the turtle. "Of course. Do not stay out too long."

Raph nodded obediently. "Hai, Sens-"

"Raphael."

Raph froze, turning back to face Splinter. "Yeah?"

Splinter reached a hand out and laid it on Raph's shoulder, smiling warmly at him. "I am proud of you, my son."

Raph drew in a breath, his eyes tender. Raph couldn't help but to let a wide grin plaster on his face. Before he knew what he was doing, he engulfed his father in his arms, hugging him tightly. He held on so tight, it was as if he was afraid that Splinter would slip away from his life again. Splinter let out a little chuckle, hugging Raph back, petting the back of his head. Raph finally managed to make himself pull away, and he looked up at Splinter. He bowed and turned to leave, as merry as could be.

* * *

April had woken up surprisingly early that morning despite how drowsy she was the night before. She opened the window in her room of the apartment, looking outside at all the New Yorkers passing by, chatting it up. She saw families laughing, couples smiling and holding hands, and strangers being polite to each other. She knew it was still early, but she called Casey anyways. Shockingly, he answered immediately.

"'Sup, Red?" Casey answered in a deep tone. He sounded as if he had just woken up. He cleared his throat a bit. "Sorry."

April laughed. "It's fine. I know it's early, but do you want to grab a bite somewhere?"

Casey smiled. "Sure your old man will be okay with that?"

"Yeah, he's still sleeping. I'll leave him a note. So, do you?"

Casey scratched the back of his head, a little yawn escaping his lips. "Yeah, sure. Meet at the swings?"

"Yep! See you there."

* * *

Waving at April as she swung on a swing, Casey walked up and sat on the only available swing out of the two, tucking his legs in and kicking them up. "So, how are the guys? Sorry I couldn't swing by, by the way, the family wanted me to stay in."

"It's okay," April replied, laughing to herself as the wind tickled her cheeks. "Well, the guys are still kind of stuck on finding a way to reverse Karai's mutation. They're all frustrated. I just hope they don't work themselves too hard."

"Maybe we can swing by and get their minds off of it."

"We can try, but once they're stuck on something, they're stuck." April and Casey swung in silence. Casey opened his mouth, about to break it, when April raised her hand up swiftly, shushing him. "Someone's watching us." She leaped off the swing, taking out her tessen. Casey smirked and hopped off, sliding a hockey stick out of his bag. April looked around, trying to find a face, but to little avail. "Come out, I know you're there." The tension in the air clung for a moment. April heard some rustling in an alleyway, and within seconds, her tessen was flying in the direction. She heard a hiss and then sensed that the opponent had left. She strode over to retrieve her tessen, taking a look around before she and Casey went to search for a place to grab some breakfast.

"Who do you think it was?" Casey asked, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"I don't know, but they were watching us for a while," April replied. "I can't shake off the feeling."

Casey laid a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, Red. You're safe as long as you're around with me."

April rolled her eyes, smiling. "More like you're safe as long as you're around me."

"Whatever!" Casey scoffed as April laughed. They walked down an alley to turn a corner when April froze, reaching for her tessen again. Before she could grab it from her pocket, something smacked her hand and the tessen away. April heard her tessen clank to the ground, searching for it. Casey pulled out a hockey stick again, guarding April as she searched for her tessen.

"It's no use, I can't find it," April whispered to him.

"I gotcha, Red," Casey replied, his playful tone of voice now serious. April huffed out a breath, holding her hands in a defensive stance. If she needed to, she would use her telekinesis to protect themselves. Casey and April pressed their backs to each others, spinning slowly. April heard a motion and furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes narrowing. She heard something slide towards them, but instead of it striking her, it struck Casey. He fell back, about to get right back up when it grabbed him by his ankles and pulled him to it. April's eyes widened, and she started running for Casey.

Casey was about to use his self-made tasers when the figure grasped his wrists and pulled them behind his back. If he moved, he would only harm himself. Casey grit his teeth, growling under his breath, ready for whatever was about to come. His eyes widened as the figure's face inched towards his. He smirked then. "Ehehe, back for more, huh?" He asked slyly.

"Casey, are you-" April froze mid-sentence as her eyes set on her. "Is that-"

"Snakarai," Casey replied, a smug look on his face. April glanced at Karai and saw that a gash was on one of her snake arms. April loosened her grip on her tessen that she had managed to find.

"Karai, let Casey go," April said slowly, raising her hands up in a surrendering manner. "We don't want to hurt you. Why don't I help you patch up that cut on your arm?"

Karai's head jutted forward, letting out a warning hiss. April sighed, closing her eyes and raising her hands to her temples. _Karai, it's me, April. Remember me? Take control of your mind, even if it's just for a moment. It's me._ Karai's eyes slowly went less narrowed, and she gazed at April for a moment. Her grip on Casey loosened until he fell to the ground hard. He hissed, rubbing his head as he stood back up on his feet. Karai slithered towards April, an apologetic look in her eyes. April gave her a sympathetic look, taking Karai's arm slowly in her hands and examining the gash. April knew what kind of damage her tessen could do, and when she looked at Karai's gash up close, she immediately felt guilty.

"Sorry, I didn't know that you were the one watching us," April said, pulling out some wrapping from a little brown shoulder strap bag she brought. It contained her phone, money, and some wrapping. Karai raised a brow at the redhead, wondering why she would have that with her. April smiled a bit. "Sometimes the guys get hurt in a battle, or they don't have enough wrapping for their hands, feet, or wrists." Karai was a bit baffled on how April brought up the answer to a question she was thinking about. "Oh, uhm, I can kind of hear your thoughts, since I managed to get into your head."

"It's so metal, right?" Casey smiled. "April's got mad skills. You should see her in a real fight."

Karai managed to crack a smile. She never had people to hang out with, and being around these two vigilantes was amusing when she was in her right mind. "April..."

April was a bit surprised that Karai finally spoke, but she played it cool. "Yeah?"

"I'm sssorry for... all the cruel thingss... I've done to you..."

April smiled sympathetically again. "You didn't know Shredder was using you at the time. It's not your fault."

"I let him consstantly usse me as a pawn..." Karai looked down, starting to get angry at herself. "He has deceiived me for my entire liife. And I wasss loyal to ssuch a disshonorable man... and look where it led me to."

April frowned at this. "We're doing everything we can to help you, Karai."

A flash of gratefulness shone in Karai's eyes. Despite all she has done to the two, they were still helping her. She couldn't comprehend such kindness. She wouldn't know if she would do the same if she were in their shoes. She was about to say the words she found difficult to say when a ray of ice almost grazed her. A pointy shard of ice marked the ground between April and Karai. April pushed her away, saying "look out!" The three teens looked up and saw Tiger Claw, his jetpack on and his ray gun in a hand.

"Hand over the girl and I will let you two go without harm," Tiger Claw bellowed.

"That ain't gonna slide, kitty cat," Casey spat, taking a hockey stick out. April and Casey stood defensively in front of Karai, ready to fight. Karai froze for a moment, looking up at Tiger Claw. As soon as she laid eyes on him, she lost control of her mind and hissed loudly, spitting venom that managed to land on his foot, speeding away. Tiger Claw hissed, examining his foot and soon following Karai, shooting at her.

"Karai!" April yelled. "Casey, we've got to let her get away!"

"I got it, Red!" Casey jumped up the flight of stairs on the side of the alleyway, running across rooftops, following Tiger Claw. April ran after Karai, using her tessen to block the shots Tiger Claw sent her way. Casey got close enough and leaped onto Tiger Claw's back, pressing his hands in front of Tiger Claw's good eye with enough force to throw Tiger Claw off balance. They both crashed onto a roof, where they fought to gain the upper hand.

"Casey!" April yelled, torn. She looked at Karai, who was slithering away and not looking back, and then back up at the roof. She didn't know if there were other members of the Foot out searching for Karai, but she couldn't leave Casey behind. Luckily, she didn't have to. Two figures shot up at the roof, and soon enough, April saw Tiger Claw flying down the building and crash onto the ground. She waited to see who was aiding them, and smiled immediately when she saw Raph and Mikey.

"C'mon, guys, we gotta make sure Snakarai gets away okay!" Mikey yelled, taking the running lead on the rooftops. Raph and Casey soon followed, and April followed on the ground.

It didn't take long for Tiger Claw to catch back up, and behind him were the other four henchmen: Rahzar, Fishface, Bebop and Rocksteady. Raph groaned, halting and jumping onto the back of Fishface and Bebop, managing to take them down and catch back up. Mikey stopped and threw down a smoke bomb, earning them a few feet away from the Foot. They managed to reach the docks, watching as Karai jumped into the water. They all sighed, relieved, but tensed up when they saw Fishface running towards the water and jumping in after her.

" _Shell_ ," Raph hissed, leaping down from a crate and running towards the water. "Hold them off as long as you can, I'm goin' in after them!"

"Be careful, Raphie!" Mikey yelled as he started fighting Rahzar.

Raph jumped into the cold water, swimming as fast as he could. After minutes, he saw a gray object in front of him, and he figured out it was Fishface's robotic legs. He wondered how they weren't electrocuting the gigantic fish, but he shook that thought out of his head and focused on the task at hand: letting Karai escape. Raph saw Fishface's tail and gripped on it tightly, paralyzing the fish's movement for a mere moment. Fishface snapped around and kicked Raph hard on the plastron, swimming after Karai once again. Raph's arms wrapped his stomach area instinctively, his eyes narrowing. Now he was mad. He swam with all the speed he could use and swam past the fish, trailing behind Karai.

Before Raph could swim at her side, Fishface grabbed one of Raph's feet and pulled him back, saying something uncomprehending. Raph raised a brow, mouthing 'what?' Fishface sighed and spoke again. Raph shook his head and shrugged, implying he couldn't understand him. Fishface glared at him, his teeth snarling as he was about to speak again. Raph smirked and practically drove his fist into Fishface's face, rendering him unconscious. Raph watched as Fishface floated up towards the top of the water, smiling to himself and swimming after Karai again. After a while of swimming, Karai stopped, turning to face the terrapin that dared to follow her for such a long period of time. Raph froze, trying to read her look.

Raph finally got it and raised his hands in front of him. "Got it," he mouthed. Karai had reached the point where she no longer would like to be followed.

Karai nodded solemnly and was ready to turn and swim alone, but she looked at the red-banded turtle. "Thank you," she mouthed, then swam away. Raph smiled a bit and turned, starting to swim back. It was going to be a while.

* * *

By the time Raph reached the docks, the five Foot clan members had retreated. Rahzar had Fishface slung over his shoulder, glaring at Raph as soon as he surfaced. They swore a rematch very soon as they left. Having not noticed his brother's arrival yet, Mikey made faces at the Foot, teasing them and boasting about their win for now. Raph climbed onto the wooden dock, coughing up water and laying flat on his plastron. Mikey turned, immediately alarmed and running over to his big brother.

"Raph! Are you okay?"

April and Casey followed, kneeling down beside the turtle. Raph smiled weakly up at Mikey. "Man, I love being a turtle."

Mikey chuckled a bit sadly, engulfing Raph in his arms. "Me too, bro. Let's get you up."

Raph nodded, accepting Mikey's offering hand. He slowly got to his feet, biting the insides of his cheeks as the skin under his plastron felt tender. Fishface's kick did manage to actually cause discomfort, so he held an arm over the area for precaution. Mikey noticed this as they all started walking away from the dock. "What's up with your stomach, Raph?"

"Don't worry about it, little brother," Raph replied measly.

Mikey's mouth went thin lined. "You can't hold back. You're always tellin' us that, and that means you, too."

Raph smiled, rolling his eyes. "Fishface kicked me. I think he did a number on me." As he saw Mikey's face flash concern, he smiled reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay. I'll be fine. Let's get you that grub I promised ya." Mikey nodded slightly, gripping onto Raph's hand tightly as they walked behind Casey and April.

When April and Casey came out with breakfast and climbed on top of the roof, they handed the two turtles their breakfast, watching as they took a bite. "Thanks for helping us back there," April said, taking a bite of her food, then sipping her drink. "I don't know if we could have handled all of them ourselves."

"You so could have," Mikey replied, taking another bite of his food. "You guys know enough to beat them!"

April smiled. "Thanks, Mikey. But that was rough as it was. Did Karai manage to get away safely?"

Raph nodded, sipping on the juice April bought him. "Yeah, she said thank you."

"To what?" Casey asked, his mouth full.

"I don't know, really," Raph replied. "Maybe for everything." Raph took another bite, but when he swallowed and felt it go to his stomach, it felt as if it was churning, and he knelt forward a bit. He tried to hold back his groan, but the pain was too much. Mikey moved towards Raph immediately, his eyes tender as Raph gripped onto him tightly. "Gnhh- sorry, guys, I gotta take a raincheck on this breakfast."

"It's all right," April replied, caressing a cheek. "You should focus on getting better. Take the day off."

"I can't let Leo patrol alone; who knows what trouble he'd get himself into if I wasn't there to snap him in place?"

"April and I can patrol with him," Casey replied.

"But I help Donnie and Mikey with the trials," April said.

"We all know I'm not one to get people to listen to me. You gotta come, April. He'll listen to you. You know him real well."

April sighed. "All right, fine. You guys head on home. Thanks for the help."

Raph and Mikey nodded, slowly climbing down the apartment they were on and slid down a manhole. They trudged slowly through the sewers so as not to cause Raph any discomfort. When they finally reached the lair, they saw that Leo wasn't on the couch anymore and they heard things moving around in Donnie's lab. They walked over and were opening the doors when they saw a container shaking violently and the colors inside of it changing within seconds. Leo and Donnie turned and faced them, their eyes wide with shock.

"Look out!" Leo and Donnie yelled loudly. They wouldn't let Mikey and Raph ask questions; they bolted towards the doors, pushed the two aside and hurriedly shut the doors, pushing all their weight to keep it closed. The floor shook abruptly, causing all of them to fall and lose grip on the doors. The doors opened just a bit, and clouds of smoked filled the lair. They all coughed, waving the smoke out of their faces. Leo growled and slammed his fist on the ground, pulling on the ends of his mask tightly.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy."


	9. Impostor

The four stood up, opening the doors to Donnie's lab and ran inside, groaning at all the damage. Raph and Mikey turned sharply on their heels, questioning looks on their faces as they looked at Donnie and Leo.

"What the shell happened?!" Raph exclaimed, waving his arms around the lab. Quickly after, his arms flew around his stomach, holding onto it tightly. Mikey stood to Raph's side, worried about him.

Leo and Donnie forgot about the mess and turned their attention to their brother, taking a step forward. "Raph, what's wrong?" Leo asked, lifting an arm out to him.

"What happened?" Donnie asked.

Raph was about to say 'I'm fine' instinctively, but he stopped himself, sighing loudly. "Fishface," he muttered, slowly standing back up. "He kicked me with his stupid robo leg so that he could catch Karai." Leo opened his mouth a bit, raising a finger, but Raph interrupted him. "I stopped him; did a real number on that scale face. Karai escaped, she's safe."

Leo's face flashed a look of hurt. "I wasn't going to ask about Karai, but that's good."

Raph's eyes widened a bit, looking up at Leo. With Leo being so concerned and focused on Karai, he would have expected the 'did she escape' question or 'is she alright'. He felt a pang of guilt, doubting that Leo wouldn't be concerned about him. He had scolded Leo about being more open and close with them every so often, yet he didn't expect it. "Oh, uhm-"

"I was gonna ask, are there any cracks?"

Raph removed his hands, looking down. "I'm not sure-"

"Here, let me," Donnie replied, getting on one knee and moving Raph's hands away. Donnie drew in a little breath. "It looks like you got one, but that's it."

"Is it big?"

"It's..." Donnie paused, tapping his chin as he tried to think of his wording. "You'd have to really glance at it to notice."

Raph groaned, smacking a hand on his forehead. "So you can see it."

Donnie nodded slightly, standing back up. "I'll check it out after the lab is all fixed up, okay?" Donnie placed his hand on Raph's shoulder. "For now, you should lie down."

Again, Raph was about to insist he was fine and work through the pain, but he stopped. "...yeah, okay." He turned to face Mikey. "Mikey, could ya-"

Mikey nodded quickly, letting Raph use him for support as they walked towards the couch. Raph settled down slowly, practically ripping through his bottom lip as he bit down on it roughly. When he managed to lay down, Mikey ran and grabbed a heating pad that he had found, setting it on Raph's abdomen and set a blanket on top. "Are you cold?"

Raph looked up at Mikey with a questioning look.

"You know, since you were in the water for so long."

Raph widened his eyes a bit, then nodded. "Yeah, a bit, but not really. This heating thingy is warmin' me up. Thanks, little brother."

Mikey gave Raph a sad half smile, nodding. "Do you need anything else? Do you want me to bring Chompy?"

"Are you okay?" Raph asked, propping up with his elbows slowly.

"What? I'm just tryna be helpful."

"No, I know, but you seem... off."

"I'm just worried about you, bro," Mikey replied, his eyes arching in that sad shape.

"I know, I know," Raph replied, reaching up to rub Mikey's head. "But I mean-"

"Hey, Mikey, we could use your help, if you could please," Leo yelled from the lab.

"Will you be okay?" Mikey asked, stepping towards the lab.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Raph replied. "Just- come back when you're done, okay?" Mikey nodded, flashing a small smile before he ran into the lab. Raph sighed, slowly sliding and sinking back down into the couch. His eyes fluttered shut, then shot wide open as he felt a bite on his finger. "Hey, ouch!" He lifted his hand, and there was Chompy, firmly biting down on it, flashing a cute smile at the terrapin. Raph smiled, slowly pulling Chompy's mouth off of his finger and placing his pet on his shoulder. "Such a snapping little fella," Raph chuckled, shutting his eyes again as Chompy made himself comfortable and started to drift to sleep. Raph did the same.

* * *

Mikey stepped in, taking in the mess that covered practically every inch of the lab. "What happened anyways, dudes?" Mikey asked, going over to grab a mop. Leo tensed up a bit, focusing his gaze on the counter he was wiping down while Donnie wiped his brow, letting out a breath, and looked at Mikey. "Don?"

"Leo and Raph got Stockman to give them a formula that was thought to save Karai. But, it turns out, it was a mutagen bomb. An impostor. I should have noticed it by the formula and all the chemicals he was using, but I guess I was so mentally exhausted that I didn't get it until the last minute. Stockman gave us a fake. Either he's hiding the real cure for Karai, or he hasn't come up with one yet. Either way, we're back to square one." Donnie tended to sweeping, letting the last two words hang in the air. Leo didn't even look up, he just kept cleaning.

"We're not back to square one, D," Mikey replied, dunking the mop into the mop bucket. "Just look at all the breakthroughs we made."

Donnie froze, turning to face Mikey again. His mouth was a bit thin lined. Then, he smiled a bit. "Yeah, you're right. I just hate how long it's taking."

Mikey patted Donnie's shell. "I know, D, but when we get it, you're gonna realize it was all worth it."

"Another dead end isn't a good thing," Leo replied lowly. Mikey and Donnie's heads turned sharply to Leo, who was looking up just a bit.

"We'll get there soon, Leo," Mikey defended.

"When is ' **soon** ,'-" Leo bent his fingers into air quotation marks as he said this- "Mikey?" Leo asked, throwing down the towel in his hand. "Can you tell me that?"

"Whoa, Leo, don't do anything-" Donnie stepped between them.

"Hey, hey!" Raph's voice boomed throughout the lab. "What's going on? Can't even get some shut eye around here..."

Leo sighed, walking over to Mikey. Mikey froze a bit and took a step back as Leo's hand reached out to him. "Mikey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, I'm just..."

Mikey nodded. "I know. But, it's not just you who's mad and frustrated and upset over this whole Snakarai thing, y'know," Mikey replied, looking Leo straight in the eye. "It can't be you against the world anymore. You've got us."

Leo looked to Raph, who had a touched yet tired look on his face. "You heard our little brother." Raph stretched a bit, being careful with his plastron, and grabbed a broom. "Now, let's get this cleaned up before Splinter finds out, yeah?"

* * *

Scrambling around for possible chemicals to help out with the deeply wanted cure for Karai, Stockman froze as Shredder came in. He hadn't been looking at a cure for Karai for a long while, thinking that his 'yes it is in progress' or any other of his responses to Shredder's questions about the batch for her were chances to bring her back. That proved to backfire. He should have known Shredder would want physical proof eventually.

As Shredder's footsteps drew more near, Stockman recalled the blue masked terrapin's uttered words during their confrontation.

_'I mean, Shredder wants her back here, right?'_

The sound of the metal coming down on the floor sounded closer.

_'He expects you to reverse her mutation so he can have his "daughter" back if you guys ever manage to get her.'_

Now he could hear breathing.

_'What's gonna happen if they get her and bring her here? You're gonna reverse it, right?'_

He could feel the intense glare on his back.

 _The turtle had grinned at his silence._ _'Ah. I see. Does he not know that you don't have a way to reverse her mutation?'_

_'Is that it?'_

_'You can't reverse it?'_

The steps were slowing down.

_'Shredder is gonna learn the truth, and it's not going to be pleasant for either of you.'_

"Stockman."

The insect turned around hastily, finally facing his master. "H-h-hello, Masster Shredder! What are you-"

"I came to check on your progress of the cure for Karai's mutation. Do not play dumb, you bug."

"Masster Shredder, if I recall correctly, y-you said you would send someone to ch-check on it-"

"I have sent the rest to search for Karai. They almost captured her in the last attempt."

"What about Fishfa- Xever?"

Shredder narrowed his eyes. "He is lucky he is not a worthless adversary. He is healing." Shredder looked at the papers in front of Stockman, squinting at it. He looked around the huge lab, looking for a sign of any batch of potential cure. He turned sharply to face Stockman. "I do not see any sign of a cure."

"O-oh, i-it's s-stored away!" Stockman replied, twiddling his feelers nervously.

"Bring it out."

Stockman gulped, nodding as he flew to a nearby, vacated room. He searched frantically for something to pose as a cure. He grabbed the first large glass container he laid eyes on and flew out with it. He handed it to Shredder, hoping the schtick would work. Shredder glared at it, opening the glass container and spilling out its contents. When the contents made the floor melt, Shredder threw down the glass container, watching as it broke into shards. Then he looked up furiously at Stockman.

"I-I can-"

Shredder practically dashed to Stockman and had a firm hold of the collar of his shirt, lifting the bug off the floor. He slammed him into a nearby wall, his low growl loud. "Where is it, Stockman?!"

"I-I-I-"

"I demand to see it!"

"I can't!"

"You dare disobey my orders, you lowlife-"

"N-no, M-Master, I can't sh-show you!"

"Why not?!"

"Because there is nothing to show you! I haven't worked on it, I haven't found anything that could cure her! There is nothing!"

Shredder drew in a breath, dropping Stockman to the floor, hard. He glared down at him, his fists shaking. "You impostor. Daring to tell me lies."

"I-I haven't worked on it, M-Master! I'm sorry!"

Shredder cackled, his eyes narrowing. "I suppose you will learn your lesson."

"I-I surely will, I will!"

"Yes. You will." Shredder walked toward him, his blades suddenly emerging from its cuffs. "I will make sure of it."

Stockman backed into that corner for his dear life. He knew even attempting to fly away would fail, or bring an even more dire consequence. As Shredder's figure grew near, and his buzzing grew louder, two words that proved to be true echoed throughout his mind.

_**'Especially you.'** _


	10. Tis But A Scratch

With the lab looking as clean as it could be, the four turtles dropped down on the couch, letting out big sighs of relief. Their fingers, their arms, their legs, their knees- it all felt like it was cramping up worse than it ever would during training. Their hands smelled of chemicals and their feet were practically covered with dust and dirt. Raph was having a hard time breathing; it felt like needles were shooting into his lungs with every breath he took. His face was visibly pained, and it looked a bit pale. Donnie noticed Raph shaking a bit and went over to him.

"What," Raph breathed, "are ya doin', Don?"

"I need to check on you, Raph," Donnie replied, trying to brush Raph's hand away from the scratch. "I won't touch it."

Raph moved his hand aside and held his breath as Donnie examined his stomach area. "W-well?"

"Well what?" Splinter's voice echoed throughout the lair. Donnie and Raph both jumped a bit, immediately looking at Splinter as he started walking over to them. "What is going on?"

Raph looked away as he felt his eyes swell up; the pain was getting harder to ignore. It was just a nick, so why was it hurting so much? Splinter bent down to Donnie's level and saw the scratch, his eyes widening a bit and his ears flicking.

"Raphael, how did this happen?"

"Ah, 'tis but a scratch, Sensei," Raph replied, trying his best to smile. Splinter scowled, in no mood for jokes. "It was when Mikey and I went to catch some breakfast with April. We were headin' up there, and the Foot are attackin April, Casey, and Karai. We managed to get Karai to slip away at the docks, but Fishface was on her tail. I followed 'em, and he kicked me with his robo leg. I managed to get him out of the way and let Karai escape."

"Raphael, you cannot go to the surface for a while."

"What?" Raph tried to stand up, but the pain shot him back down on the couch. "I mean, I get why, but I can't sit and do nothin' to help, Sensei."

"Perhaps you can help Donatello test out the potential cure for Karai that you retrieved from Stockman." Donnie and Raph darted their eyes away, falling silent. Splinter glanced at Leo and Mikey, who had looked away, too. He stood up, tall and firm. "What did you four do?" None of them said anything at first. Splinter exhaled audibly. "One of you four better start explaining."

"We..." Donnie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We already tried it out. It was a mutagen bomb. I should have seen it from the chemicals and the steps, but I was so tired and-"

"Did any of you four get mutagen on yourselves? Were any of you hurt?" Splinter asked, looking at all of them.

They were all surprised at this. "W-we're fine, Sensei, we didn't get any mutagen on us nor did we get hurt," Donnie replied. "Honest."

"But your lab looks the same as before."

Donnie smiled bashfully. "We just finished cleaning it."

Splinter smiled just a bit. His sons were still as poorly-mischievous as before, even with all what they endured in the span of 6 months in space. He averted his attention back to Raphael. "My son, though this scratch isn't big, it does look deep. How much pain is it causing you?"

Raph had cold sweats. "Uh, k-kinda a lot?"

Splinter became puzzled. "Why do you say it as a question?"

"'Cause I dunno how else to express it?"

Splinter frowned a bit, noticing Raph's shaking. "It is best that you do not do anything involving too much energy."

Raph cocked his head to the side a bit. "Are you puttin' me on bedrest, Sensei?"

"I suppose I am. Tell me; has it bled?"

Raph pondered on this. "I think it did when I was in the water. It was stinging like shell."

Splinter looked to Donatello. "You should address his wound with some-"

"-anti-bacterials, got it!" Donnie dashed to his lab.

"You will take this time to rest."

"But who'll help Leo patrol?" Raph asked as Splinter gently pushed him down so that he could lay down. "No offense to him, but no one can take on all those goons all at once; not even Leo. They're amping it up just to get Karai, and they'll do anything." Raph turned his head to look at Leo. "We can't have a situation like Leo bein' thrown through a window all battered and bruised and unconscious again." He turned back to look at his father. "He shouldn't go alone."

Leo felt his chest go heavy and felt himself frown. He looked down. Shell, just knowing that Raph was afraid of Leo being alone and something like that happening again crushed him. Splinter gave Raph a sincere and soft look as he said this. "Michelangelo will go with Leonardo."

Mikey's head perked up as he heard this. "Uh, Sensei, I kinda help Donnie with the science-y stuff, though."

"Raphael will assist Donatello until he is better."

Mikey turned to Raph, concern flashing in his eyes. "We usually stay up late just doing trials, though, Sensei. Raph'll need all the sleep he can get."

"Do not worry, my son. I will keep an eye on them."

"Uhm, okay," Mikey replied. "Whatever you say, Sensei."

"Is there a problem, Michelangelo?"

"No, just," Mikey looked at Raph, then looked away. "April and Casey offered to patrol with Leo. They've both gotten better in battles, I promise. They can do patrols. I can stay down here and help Don and Raph."

Splinter nodded to Mikey and rose, glancing at his sons. "Perhaps it is best if you two do a quick patrol and come to sleep early. You have all had a long day."

"Hai, Sensei," Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo replied. "Good-night, Sensei."

"Sleep well, my sons." As Splinter left the pit, Donnie was running back with bottles and wrapping in his hands.

"Okay, Raph, I'm not gonna lie; this might sting," Donnie said as he crouched down in front of his brother.

"What's the dressing for?" Raph asked, eyeing the bandage wrapping.

Donnie had a hesitant look on his face. "Just in case."

Raph looked over Leo and Mikey, who were watching, concerned. "Leo, you should uh, go ahead and go on patrol. You should too, Mikey."

Mikey became baffled. "What? But April and Casey can-"

"I know you've been dyin' for some action, little brother. Take tonight to go and patrol. I think we're done with trials for today. You two should go, like Splinter said."

"Are you sure?" The blue eyed terrapins asked in unison.

"Yeh. I'll be okay." Raph gave them a reassuring smile. With that, the two nodded and started to call Casey and April as they exited the lair. Raph tried to relax into the couch as Donnie opened some little bottle with a weird brush attached to the lid. "What's that?" Raph asked.

"It's an anti-bacterial."

"I know, but is that one gonna hurt?" Raph asked, eyeing it. The 'wand' was covered with a red substance. "I feel like it might hurt."

"Are you afraid?" Donnie asked in a teasing tone, smirking a bit as he lifted the little wand in his fingers.

Raph didn't reply. Instead, he settled back down and held his breath as Donnie was about to apply it. Immediately as Donnie brushed the red goop on Raph's wound, Raph sat up and tried to push Donnie away, but Donnie had already backed away. "What the shell?!" Raph hissed, about to clasp his hands over the wound, but stopped himself in time. "What was that?"

"It's kind of like rubbing alcohol, but stronger."

"You're telling me!" Raph replied, biting down on his bottom lip hard. "Geez, a heads up would be nice next time, Donnie."

"Sorry. I thought if I told you, you wouldn't let me apply it."

"It's whatever." Donnie sort of frowned at this; Raph using that sentence meant he was a little annoyed. "Just, tell me what each thing does for now on, yeah?" Raph said as he slowly laid back down.

"Sure thing." Donnie went back over to Raph's side, putting the red medicine away and taking out a little purple bottle next. It had the same 'wand' as the red one.

"What's that do?"

"It serves the same purpose as peroxide. It won't hurt, it'll just bubble."

"Why don'tcha just use regular alcohol and peroxide?"

"These prove more effective."

Raph hummed in an 'I get it' tone as Donnie applied the purple medicine on Raph. "So, Don, I gotta ask ya somethin'."

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll ever find a way to get Karai back to herself?"

Donnie fell silent as he put the wand back in its bottle. He started unwinding some of the wrapping. "Yeah, I think we will."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause we sure as shell won't stop until we do."

Raph smiled to himself, sitting up so he could help Donnie wrap the dressing around him. "Is there a chance I'll bleed or something?"

"Possibly. If you move in a certain way, you might bleed. It's kind of like when you stretch after a hard work out and your body kind of locks up. Or like stretching out a scar. You'll have to be careful." Donnie carefully patted the bandage so that it would stick, then he slowly got up. He stretched his arms up and arched his shell a bit, letting out a big yawn. "I'm gonna shower and come back here to sleep. Cool?"

Raph nodded, chuckling a bit. "Like you need my permission?"

Donnie laughed, shoving Raph's shoulder playfully. "Shut up. I'll be back."

* * *

Leo and Mikey climbed a rooftop, then sat down and scanned the city. Mikey had called Casey and Leo had called April. The two teens had agreed to help the turtles on their patrol for tonight and were on their way. Silence fell between the turtles, the only noise being the sounds of the city.

"Mikey, are you mad at me?" Leo asked in a monotone voice.

Mikey turned his head slightly to take a glimpse at his brother. "No, why?"

"It seems like you are."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, it sounded like you didn't want to come on patrol with me."

"I was worried about Raph; I was there when it happened and I wanna help him."

"I know that."

"Then I don't get what you mean, bro."

"Well, I did yell at you."

Mikey turned his head away to look at the moon. "Yeah, you did." Mikey chuckled a bit. "But that's not new. You yelling at someone when you're frustrated."

Leo turned to face Mikey. "I really am-"

"Shh!" Mikey interrupted all of a sudden. He narrowed his eyes and looked down at a street. "There's Snakarai!" Mikey started to stand up, ready to leap down.

"Stop!" Leo whispered.

"What? Why?"

"We don't interact unless she's in danger."

Mikey arched a brow up, baffled. "Oh, okay." Mikey was about to sit back down when he saw Stockman coming out from Shredder's lair. He jumped back up, his nun chucks already in his hands. "Stockman-fly, 2 o'clock!"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Let's drop by."

Mikey stood up straight, turning his head just a bit to look Leo in the eyes. "Don't do what you're wanting to do, Leo. It won't do any good." With that said, he leaped off the roof and swiftly ran towards Stockman. Leo stood there for a moment, registering what Mikey had said, then followed behind soon after. When they approached Stockman, he was visibly walking like he was pained. Mikey stopped in place, lowering his hands. "Dude, if it hurts to walk, you should just fly."

Stockman was startled at the sudden visit, but quickly grunted as his eyes laid on Mikey. His eyes went to Leo, and he froze a bit. Leo was just staring at him, his arms crossed over his plastron. Stockman suddenly narrowed his bug eyes and pointed to the blue-masked terrapin. "You!"

Leo dropped his hands down to his sides. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" Stockman started stomping his way towards the turtle, but he stopped, and he writhed in place.

"Dude, seriously, I know we're enemies and all, but you should fly if your feet hurt that much," Mikey said, eyeing Baxter's legs.

"I can't, you fool!"

"Why? Are your wings wet or something?"

"No!" He turned to look at Leo. "You can jump up and down now."

Leo cocked his head to the side. "I don't follow."

"Your taunts were true. I didn't have a cure for her. Shredder found out. With the mutagen bomb not working on you fools and you standing here, you truly mock me."

"Get to the point, dude, words are gross," Mikey groaned.

Stockman looked Leo straight in the eyes. "It was not pleasant. Especially for me."

Leo drew in a breath, eyeing Stockman with a look of pity. Mikey looked at his brother, confused. "Leo, what's going on?"

"Shredder tore off Stockmanfly's wings."

Stockman turned to show the tear of where the wings used to be. Leo and Mikey visibly looked shocked and a bit fearful as they took a step back. Stockman turned to face them. "Oh, no worries, turtles. 'Tis but a scratch. For now."


	11. Finally, A Plan... Somewhat

With Karai not being chased that night, and no sign of Foot activity, Leo and Mikey were growing tired. April and Casey had joined them soon after their encounter with Stockmanfly, and could tell that the two terrapins were spooked. Casey was the first to press on the matter.

"Dudes, what happened? You guys look kinda pale, and your faces look... weird."

April elbowed his side hard, earning a hiss from the vigilante. "Are you guys okay?"

"Stockmanfly, he- his wings were torn off," Mikey sputtered immediately.

April and Casey's eyes widened; now they looked spooked. "Oh my gosh, did you see it happen? Who did it?"

"I know he's evil and stuff, but that's twisted, yo..."

"Shredder did it apparently," Leo replied, twiddling with his fingers. "It was a... punishment... since Stockman didn't have a cure for Karai like he said he had."

April and Casey didn't respond at first. Casey broke the silence some minutes later, saying, "Well, glad we don't work for that dude, amirite?"

The three nodded, not uttering a word.

Mikey exhaled loudly and long. "Well, nothing's happening tonight, dudes. Why don't we just call it a day and head back?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. We should check on Raph, anyways," Leo replied, stretching his arms over his head.

"What's wrong with Raph?" Casey asked, halting them.

"You know when we were fighting the Foot?" Mikey prompted, looking at Casey. "Well, Fishface kicked Raph in the stomach, and he got a little crack. It's not big, but it is deep, and it's hurtin' him real bad. Master Splinter said he had to take it easy for a while."

"When I see that fish again, I'ma make sure he goes back to Shredder on a plate!" Casey growled, pounding his fist into his other hand, hard.

"Don't worry about it, dude; Raph knocked Fishface out, and he hasn't been back out since. He's probably having it worse than Raph is."

"Serves him right. I oughta-"

"Ooookay," April interrupted, pressing her hands on Casey's chest and pushing him away. "We'll let you guys head off. Tell Raph we said hi and that we hope he feels better soon, okay? We'll visit as soon as we can. Good night!"

"Night, April; night, Casey," the two blue eyed turtles replied, waving before they leaped off the rooftop and went down a manhole. While they were walking back, Leo was constantly glancing at Mikey, looking away before Mikey could catch his glimpse. Mikey knew Leo was looking at him, but he didn't know why, so he stopped in his tracks and sighed, turning to face Leo.

"Is there something on your mind, bro?" Mikey asked. "I can feel you looking at me. What's up?"

Leo didn't say anything at first; he just shuffled awkwardly in place as Mikey waited for a response. Finally, he sighed and looked at his young brother. "About earlier... I didn't get a chance to say what I wanted to."

This caught Mikey's attention. "Okay... so, are you going to tell me now or?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm sorry about yelling at you. I'm just really frustrated and getting impatient with this whole Karai situation; it's taking forever."

Mikey nodded solemnly. "I get you're tired of how long it's taking, and you usually let it out by yelling. It just kind of sucks, sometimes, I guess. We'll be trying to help or we say something that just ticks you off enough and you yell. I'm not just talking about when you yell at me; it's when you yell at anyone. I'm not mad at you or anything. I'm just sayin' that maybe you should find another way to release your frustration, like when you use to meditate. You know?"

Leo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I should get to that. Are you sure you're not mad at me?"

Mikey smiled. "Yeah, bro, I'm not mad. But I am tired; let's hurry back home."

By the time the elder and the youngest turtles came back home, they found Raph and Donnie in a deep sleep. Donnie had his head rested on Raph's legs and had an arm propping his head up in replacement for a pillow. He also had a thin blanket draped over himself. Meanwhile, Raph had a fuzzy blanket over him and two pillows propped under his head, with Chompy sleeping on his shoulder. The heating pad had been plugged in and set on Raph's lower plastron with the low setting currently on. Mikey and Leo smiled down at the two, then went to freshen up. Before he took his place in the pit to sleep, Leo went into the training area and walked in front of the space Splinter slept in.

"Master Splinter?" Leo whispered as softly as he could.

"Yes, my son?"

"Oh, I just came to tell you we're back from patrol, if you didn't know already. But we're about to go to bed."

"It is a bit early."

"You did tell us to take patrol earlier than usual so that we could come home early and get some more sleep, Sensei," Leo smiled.

"While that may be true, it seems that there was no trouble to handle, either."

"Well, there was no sign of the Foot, and Karai wasn't in any danger the whole night. Nothing really happened tonight."

Splinter hummed. "Thank you for telling me you had returned. Sleep well, Leonardo."

"Good night, Sensei," Leo replied, leaving the room. He immediately yawned and went into his room, getting his blue ducky blanket and a pillow. When he reached the pit, he saw that Mikey had slept on the foot of the couch right next to Raph, with half of his blanket underneath him and the other half draped over him and a pillow under his head. Leo sat next to Raph's feet on the couch, curling his legs up to his chest and putting the pillow against the couch. He laid his head on the pillow and covered himself with his blanket, letting out one last yawn. He took a look at his brothers and smiled before his eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

"So, how's your dad?" Casey asked as he and April started strolling home.

"He's okay. I mean, yeah, obviously he's freaked out about the whole thing, but he's handling it as best as he ever could."

"Did you tell him about how we went to space?"

April chuckled nervously. "No. Should I?"

Casey shrugged. "That's up to you. I mean, last time something like this happened, he barely let ya out of your place and whatever. But he is tryna protect ya, too."

"I'll tell him tomorrow, maybe. I should tell him sooner or later. I just-"

"Pssssst!"

April and Casey turned around and stopped, their guards up. They heard it again and they slowly reached for their weapons.

"No, do not do that."

"Show yourself and we'll see," April replied cautiously. Her request was granted and Karai appeared from the shadows. Casey and April moved their hands away from their weapons. "Oh, hey, Karai. You okay?"

Karai nodded. "I have a quesstion to ask."

"What's up?"

"Is it true about Sstockman?"

"What is?"

"That Shhredder ripped his wingss from him."

April looked to Casey, then to Karai hesitantly. "Yeah, it's true. How did you find out?"

"I overheard him yelling at Leonardo and Michelangelo." Silence filled the air, then Karai sighed. "I am thinking of turning mysself over to Shredder."

Casey and April's head swerved to look at her, alarmed looks on their faces.

"What? No way, that ain't happenin'!" Casey replied a bit loudly.

"Why would you want to do that? Shredder has been deceiving you your whole life and hasn't treated you right at all. He doesn't deserve you, and you do not need to go back to that toxic place ever again. You barely escaped from him, and look what he did to you just to fulfill his stupid vendetta!"

"I know how he is. Do not think that I will ever forget. But knowing that he is harming others just because he is an angry, selfish and dishonorable man is not a comforting matter. If I hand myself over, maybe he will stop."

April's eyes went tender, and she stepped toward Karai, laying a hand on her cold, scaly shoulder. "But what if he doesn't?" Karai lowered her head, not replying.

"Look, I know this whole thing is messed up, but that Shredder guy is way too messed up for you to go back to. He's not the same. He might 'punish' you for tryna run away from him for so long. It ain't a good idea, sweetheart," Casey added, his tone firm and serious. "It ain't worth goin' back to that scumbag."

Karai nodded a bit. "I do not know how much longer I can take thiss."

"We're trying everything we can," April replied, gripping onto the snake's arm gently. "We won't stop."

"Perhaps it is best if I just go away," Karai interrupted. "If I am away, you and the turtles will not have to worry about me. I will go somewhere where I am no threat to anyone and can live for as long as I can."

"No offense, but that's stupid," Casey replied. "If you run off, the guys will worry sick about ya, and they'll take as long as they want to look for ya and make sure you're safe. They'll try harder for Splinter's sake, too. Plus, you might hurt people if you lose your entire control of yourself."

"I do not know what to do!" Karai hissed, jutting her face towards the vigilante. She backed down, looking away. "I do not know."

"Tell you what. Give us a couple more tries. If you feel that there's nothing else to do, we'll help you find a place where you can live with no harm and in peace. That way we know where you are and we can check up on you. Sound okay?" April suggested, her eyes locking with Karai's.

Karai pondered for a moment. It was the best option there was out of all the other ones. She nodded at April. "Okay." Karai looked to the sky and moved herself away from April's touch, looking around. "I musst go now."

April and Casey nodded, watching over her as she slithered away and started hissing. They looked at each other and started heading home in silence. The next day, they would tell the turtles the plan and would make them go along with it no matter what.


	12. Word Goes Around

Raph was the first to awaken- not on his own terms, though. His stomach pain drove him out of his slumber. He groaned and put his hands over his stomach, wincing at the touch immediately as he did. He blinked a few times to adjust to the light and looked down at his body, trying to remember what happened last night. He gently took the blanket off of himself and saw that the heating pad was still on, so he turned it off. He was feeling a little hot from it, which he figured was supposed to be a good thing. He took the heating pad off himself and saw red on the bandages around him, and he scowled. He grabbed the remote and turned on the tv, pressing the select button to check the time. 9:47am. It wasn't too early, so he wasn't too worried.

Raph looked at Donnie, whose mouth was open and eyes shut tight as he was asleep on Raph's legs. Raph hated to do so, but he didn't know how to assess the wound himself; he shook Donnie until he woke up. Once he did, Donnie mumbled and rose his head up slowly, his eyes opening slowly. "Mm, don't touch that..."

Raph smiled a bit. "Hey, Don."

Donnie opened his eyes enough to look at Raph. He waved lamely. "Mm, hey, Raph. Are you okay?"

"Listen, my, uh, bandages have some red on it. I dunno what to do, so..."

Donnie shook his head to wake himself up and looked at Raph's lower plastron. "Here, sit up as much as you can." Raph slowly sat up, making sure Chompy didn't fall off of his shoulder as he did so. Donnie slowly unwrapped the bandages from around Raph and looked at the wound. He touched it slightly, quickly removing his finger as some blood trickled out. "You probably moved wrong when you were sleeping. Does it hurt a lot?"

"Not really; it feels the same as yesterday."

"Okay, let me get some fresh bandages to wrap around you. Be back," Donnie said, slowly getting up. He stretched briefly before going into his lab. Raph pressed his finger against the scratch, waiting for Donnie to come back. He didn't realize until he looked at the bottom of the couch that Mikey was awake, but he had been quiet.

"Whoa, you almost surprised me, Mikey. Why didn't ya say anything?"

Mikey shrugged. "I didn't wanna freak you out. You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just bleedin' a bit."

"Does it hurt to move still?"

"I dunno. I'll get up when I'm ready and take a lap around the lair later. How was-" Raph let out a long, loud yawn. "-patrol last night? Anything happen?"

Mikey paused, darting his eyes away from Raph. "Uhm, yeah, somethin' happened."

"What?"

Mikey looked at Raph, and plastered a smile on his face. "Leo apologized to me for yelling at me."

Raph raised a brow. "Really? Like, he was hesitant and nervous and stuff?"

Mikey nodded, chuckling a bit. "Yeah. He said he was sorry, and I told him I wasn't mad." Mikey slowly stood up, extending his arms and legs. "I'm hungry. Ya want some bfest?"

"Yeah, sure, Mikey."

"Anything specific?"

"Anythin's fine, thanks, little brother." Mikey nodded and left to the kitchen, starting to cook. Just then, Donnie came back out with some white wrapping. "Took ya long enough."

Donnie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't remember where I put them." Donnie bent down and wrapped it around Raph's plastron, sliding some gauze under it and over the wound in case it bled more later. Donnie did the classic three hand dust off afterwards, then looked at Leo. "Man, he's out."

Raph looked to Leo and laughed a bit. "Proves him right; bet he's been holding back on sleep."

"I can hear you two," Leo grumbled, turning away from them. "Shhhhhhh."

"Geez, you bein' the last one up? That's something," Raph replied, kicking Leo on his side a bit. "Get up, Leo. It's almost 10am."

"Give me 5 more minutes," Leo yawned, curling more into his small blanket.

"You're not gonna be comfy like that, you might as well-"

"Okaaay, jeesh," Leo cut him off, standing up. He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly, stretching his arms out. He stumbled a bit, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Man, I saw space. Guess I stood up too fast. I'll be back," Leo said, dropping his blanket on the couch and heading to the bathroom.

Donnie laughed, walking away as Leo looked back at him. Donnie was about to go into the kitchen to see what Mikey was making when he saw April and Casey walk in. He stopped, looking at them. "Hey, April, Casey; what are you doing here so early?"

April smiled. "Jeez, Donnie, you want us away that badly?"

Donnie sputtered out his words. "Wh-what? No! I was just wondering what-"

April laughed, engulfing Donnie in a hug. "I'm kidding, Donnie. We got something to tell you guys." She pulled away, going into the kitchen. Donnie and Casey fist bumped and went into the pit, accompanying Raph. April hugged Mikey from behind, chuckling as Mikey jumped at the sudden touch. He turned and his face brightened up. He chirped her name and hugged her tightly. "What are you cooking?"

"You'll see," Mikey replied, bopping her nose with a wooden spoon. "Out, out; it's a surprise!" He started pushing her out, and she laughed again.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" She went into the pit, sitting at Raph's feet. "Hey, Raph, how are you holding up?"

"I've had better days," Raph replied, smiling. "I'm alright. How was patrol yesterday?"

April looked to Casey, who was already looking at her. She turned back to look at Raph. "Where's Leo?"

"Heyyo," Leo announced as he stepped out of the bathroom. "Right here."

"Is Master Splinter awake yet?" April asked.

Leo, Donnie and Raph became alarmed. "What's going on, April?" Leo asked, sitting next to her.

She smiled blankly. "Let's wait for Mikey and Master Splinter. Then Casey and I will explain. I'll give you a fair warning; you might not like it."

"Uh oh," Donnie mumbled, looking at Casey. "You won't spill either, puckmouth?"

Casey shook his head. "Sorry, Kraang-breath. I ain't breakin'."

Raph crossed his arms over his plastron. "Jeez, you guys are kinda freakin' me out."

"Who's hungry?" Mikey shouted from the kitchen. He had 5 plates in his arms, passing one each to each person. He grabbed another plate from the kitchen and went to the training area. "Sensei? April and Casey wanna talk to us. I got some breakfast for ya!"

Splinter came out of his area and took the plate. "Thank you, Michelangelo. Let us go, then."

Mikey nodded, leading the way. He went into the kitchen to grab his own plate and sat himself down near Raph, watching as everyone ate. He made some eggs, some plantains, beans, and rice. He offered everyone water, and choices of either sour cream or sugar for the plantains. When everyone finished, including himself, he smiled as they all had satisfied looks on their faces. Another good meal! He took their dishes and put it in the kitchen sink, then ran back to take his spot. Everyone had their eyes on Casey and April.

April drew in a long breath, then exhaled. "So, while Casey and I were heading back home, Karai confronted us. She, uhm, had this crazy idea."

"She wanted to turn herself in to Shredder," Casey said, as he could sense April didn't want to say it.

Instead of the expected fits of anger and surprise, the turtles remained quiet and still. "She heard about what happened to Stockman and didn't like the idea of others being hurt just because she wasn't with Shredder."

"She thought it would resolve everything and make him stop, but April pointed out that he might still hurt them even if she did go back, and I told her that he might hurt her for running away."

"She said she didn't know how much longer she could wait around; how much longer she could take it. She told us she was thinking of going away, far from us so that we wouldn't worry about her."

Raph snickered. "That's the wrong way to go, sister. We'll worry more."

"That's what I told her," Casey replied.

"So, we said that when she felt it was time, we would help her find a place to live that's safe for her to live and where she can't harm people. We would visit and check up on her as much as we could. She accepted the offer, but I think it's only because there's no better alternative." April went quiet for a moment. "So, what do you guys think?"

Raph was the first to speak. "It's a pretty good plan. It's better than what we have; nothing."

Mikey responded soon after. "I mean, as long as she's safe, it's good to me."

"It is the best option if we can't find it in the time she's here," Donnie added, chin in hand.

Leo rubbed a hand down his face, then rubbed his temples. "It's a good plan. If it comes to that, we have to make sure we're not followed." Leo turned to look at Splinter. "Sensei?"

Master Splinter took a moment. "You two have made a wise offer. It is a good and safe alternative for her, but we must heave Leonardo's concern of the possibility of being followed if it comes to this."

April and Casey were a bit dumbfounded. "So, none of ya are gonna like, freak out or yell or anything?" Casey asked. April smacked his arm. "Ouch- hey! You're thinkin' it, don't lie!"

Leo got up on his feet. "I'll be outside." He turned to face his younger brothers. "Donnie, Mikey, you want to come?" The two hesitated, glancing at Raph. Leo closed his eyes for a moment and took a minute to breathe, then opened his eyes. "It's okay. I'll be back."

"Leonardo, do not act out of-"

"I know; I won't, Sensei. I'll be right back."

Splinter nodded once, and they all watched as Leo sprinted out of the lair. Splinter rose and returned to the training area, telling Donnie and Mikey that they should prepare for training. April and Casey got up, deciding that was indication that it was time that they left. Raph asked if they would see them later, and the two teens nodded, then left. Raph sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. He sat up and swiveled so that his feet were hanging off the couch now, and he gripped onto the couch tightly. He slowly started to rise off the couch, pausing when he thought he would fall back down, but he hadn't.

Donnie and Mikey were training with Splinter when Raph decided to get up unannounced. Raph managed to get on his feet with not much hassle and started to walk out of the pit. He pressed his hand onto his thigh as he took the step up to get out of the pit and got a little unbalanced, but he balanced himself back out in no time. He slowly paced himself around the lair, taking a few laps around. He headed into his room to set Chompy down and let him eat, petting him as he left the room to do laps again. The pain wasn't that bothersome as he thought it would be.

As soon as Donnie and Mikey finished their training, they went to check on Raph. When they didn't see him on the couch, a surge of panic rose in them. Raph caught their attention as he exit the bathroom. "Hey, don't panic, I'm alright."

They both rushed to his side. "Why didn't you tell us you wanted to get up?" "Does it hurt?" "Are you okay?" "What if you fell or tripped or collapsed?"

"I didn't tell ya 'cause you were trainin', it doesn't hurt that much to be honest, I'm fine, and well, I didn't, now did I?" Raph replied, waving them off. "Guys, don't worry. I know when I need help. I'll tell ya when I do, promise."

They both wavered a bit. Then they tried to relax. "Did you do any laps yet?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah, 10 of em."

"And you're okay?" Donnie asked. "You didn't run, did you? Don't be stupid, please."

"I didn't run, Don, I just walked. Sheesh, have a lil faith, will ya?" Raph joked. When neither of them laughed or even smile, he sighed and wrapped his arms around them, pulling them close. "Guys, I'm okay. But I am a little tired out, sad to say. Help me with the last couple of laps?"

They both smiled now, and they nodded their heads. They walked slowly at Raph's pace and started cracking jokes and conversing as they went around the lair. Raph smiled and laughed as they talked and joked, but at the back of his mind, he was wondering what the shell Leo was up to.

* * *

Leo stayed in an area Karai usually traveled through, waiting for her to come by. It took some time, but she eventually did. Leo whispered to her from a distance and stepped towards her slowly, waiting until she recognized him and relaxed. When Leo didn't smile at her, Karai cocked her head a bit. "You are upset," she stated.

Leo shrugged. "Not exactly. Just stumped, I guess is the word."

"April and Casey told you what I told them."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, they did."

"Are you angry?"

Leo shook his head. "No."

"Then why did you wait around for me?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why you thought you running away without a word would be the best solution. I mean, you must have realized that we would search for you when we noticed your disappearance."

"The thought did cross my mind somehow, Leonardo. I thought by just leaving, you would have more time to focus on your other missions and rekindling the bonds between you and your family and friends."

Leo raised his head up, giving her an odd look. "What do you mean rekindling?"

"It is obvious that something happened to you that has made you distant and frustrated. You release it in a way that hurts someone you love and you scramble to resolve it as soon and as best you can." Before Leo could argue, Karai stopped him. "I thought you could move on and not waste any more time on me."

"You don't prolong some of your words like you usually do." Leo stated suddenly.

"Offensive much," Karai scoffed, smiling a bit. "I have found that when I have most control of my mind, I can stop that."

Leo smiled. "Then you're getting better. You don't have to leave."

Karai sighed. "Leo, at best, this will be temporarily long, but it won't last forever."

"Do you not think we can help you?" Leo asked, his voice tight. "Is that why you want to go away?"

"Did you not just hear what I said? I was thinking for you and your family's sake that if I was gone, you could focus on more important things."

"And you're not important?" Leo scoffed.

"Franklyy, no, I'm nnot," Karai hissed. Her eyes widened and she backed away a bit as she realized she had lunged at Leo a bit. "You see, I'm not stable."

"Karai, you're important to us," Leo said, not minding what just happened. He stepped closer to her and pressed both his hands to his plastron. "You're important. You matter. If you didn't, why would we work this hard to help you?"

"Because you pity me," Karai replied quickly. "That or you feel responsible."

Leo straightened his posture and sighed a bit. Then he chuckled just a bit. Karai faced him, confused. "You're really not used to being cared about, are you?"

Karai didn't respond for a while; she just locked her eyes with Leo's. Finally, she smiled sadly, nodding. "It's all new to me, Leo. I don't really know how to react to this."

Leo smiled and nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We care about you. You're family. Even if you weren't, we'd help you because we care about you. Okay? Just wait a little longer. If it comes to the point where we have to relocate you, we will."

"Okay, Leo." Leo gripped onto her shoulder a bit as they locked eyes again, and he let out a soft exhale and a smile. He let her go and stepped back a bit.

"I'll be back out later tonight. You stay safe, okay?"

"Got it. Bye, Leo."

"Bye, Karai."

* * *

"Ooh-ooh, Shredder's gonna go crazay when he hears this!" Bebop whispered to Rocksteady.

"Quiet, comrade, you will reveal our hidey spot," Rocksteady replied. "Let us go report this to Master Shredder."

The two went back to the Shredder's lair, kneeling as they reached the room where Shredder sat on his 'throne.' Tiger Claw was standing beside Shredder, Rahzar at the other side, and Fishface managed to surface, but just barely. He was having a long and hard recovery, and Shredder wasn't exactly thrilled about it. "You fools better have something to tell me."

"Master Shredder, the turtles and Karai are planning to relocate the girl soon," Rocksteady replied, raising his head a bit.

"It was Karai's idea," Bebop added.

Shredder slammed his fist down on one of the hard armchairs and stood up abruptly, glaring now. "This is unacceptable. If she leaves, it will reduce our chances of returning her to her true home. Prevent this in any way possible. The termination of the Hamato clan is highly acceptable, but it will be done by me. Do not let her out of the city, or you will surely feel the bug's pain in more ways than one."


	13. Rekindling

Returning to the lair, Leo was visibly less tense and distant. He walked in front of his three younger brothers, halting their lap.

"That was a quick breather," Raph said, straightening his posture. "What'd ya do?"

"Eh," Leo waved his hand dismissively. "I'll tell you later. What are you guys doing?"

"We're helping Raph with his laps around the pit," Donnie replied.

"He's doin' real good; hasn't stopped once!" Mikey chirped in.

Raph nodded, his glance to the couch. "Yeah, and while I haven't asked to stop, I gotta now." He slithered his arms out from behind Donnie and Mikey's necks, making his way to the couch. He carefully sat down, letting out a big 'ahh' as he sank into the couch. He looked to Leo. "Splinter might want ya to see him so that you can do your morning trainin'. I'd go to him before he goes to you, if I were you."

Leo's posture stiffened. "Shell, that's right. Thanks, Raph!" Leo made a beeline to the training area, now out of sight and out of mind.

Donnie chuckled, then he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm gonna start with the trials. You guys gonna come with?" Donnie asked, looking at Mikey and Raph.

"Right behind ya, D," Mikey replied.

"Raph?"

"Maybe later."

"All right," Donnie responded, walking into the lab. Mikey was about to do the same, but Raph's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mikey."

Mikey turned to look at his brother. "Yeah?" When he saw that Raph's face looked serious, he felt a sudden shiver go throughout his body. "Uh, bro?"

"C'mere."

"O-kay," Mikey replied slowly, walking to Raph. In front of him, he asked, "What's up?"

"Leo apologizing to you isn't all that happened to you, is it." He said it more like a fact rather than a question.

Now Mikey froze. "What'cha mean, dude?"

"When April and Casey were talkin' about Karai wantin' to run away; at first, you were lookin' at them with full attention. After they said Stockman's name, though, you looked away and were like, deep in your thoughts, which is a surprise." Raph tried to give a small smile, but he couldn't make light of this. Not really, anyways. "You know something, and you aren't tellin' me."

Mikey silently gulped. "I-I dunno what ya mean, Raph."

"You suck at lying, you know."

Mikey twiddled his fingers.

"You know what happened to Stockman. It happened on you and Leo's patrol. What happened, Mikey?"

"Why aren't ya askin' Leo about this?"

"You're not gonna tell me?" Raph asked. He stood up from the couch, his face just inches away from Mikey's. "Really?"

Mikey darted his eyes away to avoid Raph's intense look. "I, uhm... I... I will."

"I hate to intimidate ya, bro, but you left me no choice. No holdin' back, remember?"

Mikey sighed. "We were on patrol, right? And I hear a noise, yeah? So, I'm like, let's go check it out, 'cause it might be the Foot, get it? So we go down and I see that it's Stockmanfly, and so I'm like, 'oh dang son we best check it,' ya feel? We get down there and I'm noticing that Stockman is like, kinda limpin? So I tell him, 'just fly if your legs are killin' ya,' 'cause who would put that much pain on themselves, y'know? And he stares Leo down and is all like, 'I bet you feel so high and mighty,' right? And Leo's all like, whaa? So I tell Stockman again like, 'dude, why don't you just fly?' And he's all staring Leo down and says somethin' and I look to Leo and I'm like, 'what's going on, Leo?' And Leo says, 'Shredder tore his wings off.' So..."

Raph got a bit lost as Mikey rambled; whenever Mikey was extremely anxious or nervous, he would say things in an interrogative form. But he quickly caught on, and the last words purely shocked him. "Whoa whoa, wait. Shredder _tore_ the bug's wings off?"

Mikey nodded. "Y-yeah."

"Why?"

"He said Leo was right; that he especially had suffered and stuff. I guess he lied to Shredder about having a cure for Karai and he found out, so Shredder was like, 'you'll learn your lesson' and tore off his wings."

Now it was Raph's turn to dart his eyes away. "Jeez..."

"Do you know what he meant?" Mikey asked. "About telling Leo he should be happy or whatever?"

Raph nodded. "When we went to confront Stockman, Leo said some stuff. He said stuff like, 'it's not gonna be pleasant for either of you, especially you' and 'you can't reverse it.' I guess Stockman is blamin' Leo for it."

A silence fell between the two. Raph suddenly patted Mikey on the shoulder and gave him a shove in the direction of the lab, letting him go. He plopped down as Mikey slowly trudged his way to the lab, not even giving Raph a second glance as he did so.

* * *

Leo stepped into the dojo, walking in front of Splinter and bowing down. Splinter was standing near the tree. "Sensei, I've come to train."

Splinter stroked his thin line of facial hair. The facial hair that dangled from his chin, that is. "Is that so?"

Leo nodded. "What are we starting with?"

"What you did on the surface."

Leo looked at his father. "Come again?"

"Tell me what you did while on the surface. Your 'breather'."

"Oh," Leo replied. "Well, I waited around until Karai came by and I talked to her. I asked her why she thought running away would solve everything, and she said it was because she didn't want us to worry about her anymore. She basically said she thought she was a useless case to work on. I asked her if she would extend her wait and if it came down to it, we would help her find a place for her to live in peace. I just wanted to clarify, I guess."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. At ease, I guess," Leo replied. "We know our options, at least. We have a backup plan. That's reassuring."

Splinter turned his back to Leo and looked at the tree. He stroked its bark and closed his eyes. He then turned back to face his eldest son. "That will be all."

Leo shook his head a bit. "Pardon?"

"You are dismissed."

"That's it? No katas, no-"

"Unless you would like to train instead of check up on your brother-"

"N-no!" Leo smiled sheepishly, bowing down. "Thank you, Sensei. Hai, Sensei." Leo strode out of the dojo quickly, his body less tight as he stepped out of the training area. He approached Raph and sat down next to him. "Sure your laps didn't bother you, Raph?"

"Yeah, I'm cool," Raph replied, wrapping his arms around the back of his head. He turned to face Leo. "So. Karai heard about Stockman, huh."

Leo cocked his head to the side. "I didn't tell you about that yet," Leo replied, puzzled. "How'd you find out? I don't think April or Casey really said what happened to Stockman... at least I-"

"I got it outta Mikey; he wouldn't budge at first, but I got it. How'd she even hear about it?"

"I guess she overheard him yelling about it to us or something; I'm not sure."

Raph nodded. "What'd ya do during your breather?"

"I waited for Karai to come around, and I confronted her about it. Just to clarify. I know April wouldn't lie about it; I guess I just needed to hear it from her to actually believe it. She was saying that being away would give us a chance to focus on other things, and that I could rekindle bonds with people."

"Rekindle?"

"She says I'm distant and frustrated, and I snap too easily recently."

Raph chuckled at that. "Well, she ain't wrong."

Leo smiled sheepishly once again. "Yeah. Well, she said we could focus on important stuff. And I asked her if she thought she wasn't important, and she..." Leo sighed, sliding a hand down his face. "She said yeah, basically."

Raph went silent. "Oh."

"Yeah... so, I asked her why would we help her if she wasn't, and she said it was because we felt responsible, or that we pitied her. I told her we cared about her, and she tried to dismiss that possibility. But... I got through to her, and I think she started to believe that we do. She doesn't know what it feels like to be cared about, Raph... how depressing is that?"

"That's pretty sad," Raph replied. He didn't even need to say anything; anyone with a right state of mind would know that was truly upsetting to hear.

"I asked her to extend her wait, and that if it came down to it, we would help her relocate."

"What'd she say?"

"She agreed."

"That's good, then," Raph responded, looking at Leo. "But something's still eatin' at ya, huh?"

"Yeah... it's the whole Stockman situation. It's like... it's horrific..." Leo's shivers made him shake, and he waited for the feeling to pass. "Who knows what he'll do?"

"Shredder's nothing but worthless shit," Raph hissed through gritted teeth. "He won't stop 'til he gets what he wants, and even then he'll still do crap like this."

Leo didn't do anything about the fact that Raph used profanity. Hell, he would say things like that, too. "Who in their right mind would work for him?"

"Stupid shitheads," Raph replied monotonously.

Leo patted Raph's head. "Ease up on the profanity, yeah? It's weird hearing you use it, even when you're really mad."

"Imagine when it's you," Raph chuckled. "But, it just feels right for the moment. I dunno."

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "How's your stomach?"

"Y'know when something feels numb but you can feel it pulsing or whatever? That's how it feels like right now."

"Heh, yeah. I felt that a lot when my leg was busted."

An awkward silence fell.

"You still afraid something like that will happen again, huh?"

Raph turned to face Leo. "How the shell can I not? With you down and seeing Splinter being thrown down a sewer drain... that's somethin' that'll never leave me. It was scary; not knowing if you'd ever wake up and not knowing that Splinter was actually alive. When you stormed out of Fugitoid's ship and almost died in space, it made me even more afraid. It feels like every time you go out alone somewhere, you almost die now. That's not fun to think about. God, Leo, your fucking helmet broke in space!" Raph choked on the last two words. "You almost died again. I hate when you go out alone. I know that you know better, but sometimes you push that possibility away and you almost die. It's happened one too many times."

"I know. I'm sorry..." Leo said in a tone that sounded so hurt and childlike; like he was being punished harshly and felt so guilty about what he had done. "I'm trying, Raph. I really am. I want you to trust me."

"I do trust you, Leo, but even when I do feel comfortable enough with the thought of you out alone, I'm always gonna be a bit paranoid and afraid."

Leo was quiet for a moment, but then he chuckled. "I see what Karai meant by rekindling now."

Raph gave him a small smile. "Yeah, buddy, you got some work ahead of ya."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't so impulsive to this degree. I mostly do it to protect you guys, and if I had the chance to go back, I know I would do it again just to keep you guys safe. As for the space situation and the Shredder situation, I would change that."

"Eh, hopefully you've learned from that bullshit. To not do it again."

"You can count on it. Being on the brink of death is never fun." They both let out heavy sighs, and they sank into the couch. Leo turned his head a bit and lifted his arm to Raph, his hand clenched into a fist. "We okay?"

Raph eyed Leo's hand for a moment before raising his and pounding it to Leo's. "Yeah," he replied. 'We're okay."

* * *

Karai, not in her right mind, was slithering around New York per usual. The only thing she was thinking about how hungry she was. She searched around for food and she was suddenly stopped by Tiger Claw. She froze and hissed threateningly, her fangs in her mouth and in the mouths of her snake hands immediately popping out and ready to bite into the big cat. But he wasn't making an advancement towards her. He just towered over her.

"Listen, little girl, Shredder knows about your plan to escape the city and hide. Try it if you dare, but we will surely capture you in your pursuit."

Karai looked mindlessly at the creature, not understanding his rambling. He could tell by the blank look in her eyes, and he snarled a corner of his lip up. He thrust his arm out and grabbed her face, holding it tightly so that she couldn't try to bite his hand. She couldn't open it at all. She shot her arms out to try to attack him and make him release her, but he quickly grabbed her by the hands and shut her snake hands' mouths tightly.

He stared her down until her eyes flashed with recognition. It took a while for her to finally recognize him, but when her eyes widened and her pupils dilated largely then down to a small size, she scowled at him, trying to squirm from his rough hold on her. He only tightened his grip.

"Shredder knows your intentions of escaping. Try all you like. We will capture you one way or another."

"Why aren't you capturring me now?" She snarled through shut lips. She was barely able to open her mouth to even ask.

"The turtles would suspect something and surely come to your aid. A little suspense always makes things more entertaining, after all."

She narrowed her eyes. "Shhredder ssent you."

"Certainly. And I am certain that you will tell your terrapin friends about this little encounter, correct?" Karai didn't respond, she only narrowed her eyes even more. "Be it as whether you do or not, it will not help your chances of escape. The only addition of outcome out of that will be harm upon your 'friends' and your father, dare he show his face again."

He loosened his hold on her mouth a bit just to let her speak more clearly. "You fucking bastard," she yelled, trying to bite at him. "And you call yourself an honorable man; you're nothing but a piece of shit; a hypocrite, you hear me?!"

"Calm yourself, Karai." A voice bellowed from nowhere. She frantically darted her eyes around, trying to locate the source of the voice. As the figure stepped out, her eyes widened and she stopped moving. "My daughter, you belong in the Foot Clan. You belong nowhere else but with me."

She managed to pry herself away from Tiger Claw's hold, and she was on the defensive. "You! How dare you try to tell me where I belong? You deceived me my entire life; you killed my mother!"

"I loved your mother-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear shit from you!" She growled. "Get away from me!"

Shredder removed his kabuto and took a step forward. "Karai, I will do what it takes to return you to your normal state. That rat and his sons- we will get revenge on them for turning you into this-"

Karai burst in laughter. "There you go! Always blaming others for your faults and your mistakes! A real man would stick up to his fuck-ups!" She slithered towards him a bit. "Oroku Saki, you are no man. You're nothing but a coward, and I want nothing to do with you!"

Before Shredder could say anything else, she let out a loud hiss and slithered away. She quickly lost her control of her mind and started slithering away from the city.

She was no longer hungry.


	14. Hard Day's Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This is a lengthy chapter, just a heads up. I debated on making it two parts but I couldn't find a place to separate the chapter, so you are stuck with a long chapter til the next update; super sorry! If you don't feel like reading it, I'll recap the main idea of it in the next chapter. Hopefully you enjoy it!]

The next time Karai bumped into Leo, April and Casey during their nightly patrol, the encounter of Shredder popped into her mind. She shook her head aggressively as she struggled to get into her right state of mind, taking a moment to recognize the terrapin and the two teenagers. Before any of them could speak, she jut her face close to Leo's, her eyes wide and full of worry.

Leo noticed this, lifting his hand and letting it cup a side of her face. "What's wrong?"

"Shredder knows about the possible escape pursuit we have planned."

The three drew in a breath. "How did he find out?"

"I am not sure; he confronted me yesterday with Tiger Claw."

April immediately stepped forward, alarmed. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No, Tiger Claw only grabbed my arms and face roughly."

Casey growled under his breath. "If I see that stupid cat again, I'm gonna-"

Karai shook her head. "It won't help. I'm not sure if the plan will work, no matter what we do."

"We'll find a way, Karai," Leo replied, looking at her intently. "We will do anything to-"

"He said he would bring harm upon you all, and Splinter as well," Karai interrupted. She looked away, leaving Leo's hand to fall to his side. "I cannot ask you to risk your lives just for me; I won't."

Leo chuckled. "You don't have to, because we're going to, anyways."

"Leo's right. We're not going to leave you behind," April replied, making Karai look at her.

"You're family," Casey added. "We'll take 'em down."

* * *

Running back to the lair after their patrol, Leo, April and Casey reported the new information to Splinter and the rest of the turtles. At first, their faces fell or contorted into an angry expression. Raph suddenly raised up from the couch, going into his room and coming back out with his sais. He then fell to the ground, starting to do push ups with his sais in his hands.

"Raph? What are you doing?" Donnie was the first to ask.

"Can't just sit around and do laps anymore. Gotta train up to kick them to the curb," Raph replied, letting out a loud grunt as he pushed up. "So, what are we gonna do about this?"

"Well, we know how tough the Foot are, especially when they're determined and angry," Leo replied. "It won't be an easy escape if they do follow us. We need to amp it up somehow."

Mikey, Donnie and Raph suddenly exchanged looks, then looked to Leo.

"Well, that could be possible," Donnie replied.

Leo looked up to Donnie. "Got an idea?"

"Not exactly, but- -"

"We had a major breakthrough!" Mikey interrupted. "We think we can make Karai's retromutagen now!"

Leo, April, Casey and Splinter's eyes widened.

"What? Really?!" April asked, a wide smile on her face.

"We're not certain, but we have high hopes that this could be the batch to- -" Donnie started, stopping when April engulfed him in a sudden hug.

"I knew you guys could do it!" April chirped, tugging on Mikey's arm and pulling him into the hug. "What'd I tell you!"

Raph stood up and chuckled a bit at the display, as was everyone else. "Okay, so we just gotta retro mutate her and she won't even have to worry about escapin' and bein' caught," Raph said, wiping at his brow. His stomach wasn't feeling so great at the moment, but he assumed he couldn't afford to lay around and wait to get better anymore; he had to start actually training again to prepare for a potential fight.

Donnie's smile slowly faded at Raph's words. "Well, it's not that simple. This batch could retro mutate any mutant. It's complex, but its elements have the ability to return any mutant to its original form."

"So those scum will try to get their hands on it, then," Casey said, a not-so-pleased look on his face. "But do they know about it?"

"No, but when they see us carrying around a batch of retromutagen, they're going to try to take it for themselves."

"Like the time at that creepy amusement park," Mikey added.

"We cannot afford to let this possibility occur," Splinter spoke. "This could be Miwa's only chance at regaining her normal self."

"Master Splinter is right. We can't mess this up," Leo replied.

"Why don't we just get her to come down here?" Mikey asked.

"Because they might follow her down here and find our lair," Donnie answered. "That's too high a risk."

"We're going to have to try our best to hide it or keep it away from them while we're on a patrol, then," Leo declared. "This is probably our only chance."

"Give me and Mikey time to do another trial on the batch?" Donnie asked. "We have to make sure."

Leo was about to reply when Raph interrupted him. "I should start going on patrols then."

Splinter's head turned sharply towards Raph. "My son, you are not healed enough to return to the surface, especially to go into combat."

"Then I need to train in the morning like the guys do," Raph replied stubbornly. "I'm not just gonna sit on the sideline."

"Raph, are you sure?" Leo asked. "Your stomach- -"

"I'll be fine," Raph replied quickly. "I'm doing more laps around the lair with no sweat and with no help from Donnie and Mikey."

Splinter pondered for a moment, eyeing his hotheaded son. He then exhaled softly. "Raphael, you are sure you can handle training so soon?"

Raph immediately nodded. "I do."

"Then be ready for training in the morning. You all should get some rest if you are going to prepare for this."

They all nodded as Splinter left to go to his room. The teenagers all huddled in the pit and began to make a plan; what to bring, where to meet, alternative plans if a certain situation happened- - they covered as much as they could and planned to the brink of midnight. Wary of the time, Leo concluded the planning and said they could keep planning later on, hurrying Casey and April out of the lair. He urged his brothers to go to sleep so that they and himself wouldn't be so tired for training in he morning.

* * *

For the next couple of days, they added onto their plan. Leo informed Karai that they could finally have the retromutagen for her, but he was careful not to get her hopes up too high just in case. He also told her that the batch could retro mutate any mutant, which made her a bit worried. April managed to reassure her, telling her that they would do everything in their power to get her back to the way she's desired.

Raph was granted permission to join in on patrols in some matter of time, as his training and his healing had made Splinter's worry waver enough to let him go back to the surface. Leo, Raph and Casey were the main ones to go on patrols, and April helped Mikey and Donnie with the trials of the potential retromutagen for Karai. Sometimes on patrols, one of them would spot the Foot trailing close by or watching them intently. There were some encounters and some fights, which worried everyone since Raph was still in the process of healing. The tension was heavy in the air; it was like humidity. Sometimes, they would spot Shredder watching them, his eyes narrow and cold.

When Donnie eventually felt that the retromutagen would work, he told Leo, and the plan went into action. Little did they know that the night they planned to give Karai her retromutagen, the Foot had decided to ambush them. Karai was informed that all she had to do was stay away from the Foot as best as she could and to meet them where they asked her to.

* * *

Before the patrol began, the turtles, April and Casey huddled around Splinter at the entrance to the lair.

"No matter the outcome of tonight, know that you did everything you could possibly do and that you did your best. This is a night you will likely never forget. Try your best to make it a good memorable night. I am proud of you all. Now go."

The teens nodded and rushed off, all with hope swelling in their chests. Leo, Mikey and Casey were a team with Raph, April and Donnie being the other team. Once they emerged from the sewers, they all made their separate ways, climbing rooftops and hopping around the city. Team Awesome (Leo, Mikey and Casey) headed west of the city while Team Bodacious (Raph, Donnie and April) went east. Mikey was proud of the names he gave each team. Team Bodacious's goal was to get as near in range of the docks as they possibly could without giving the Foot any suspicion. Team Awesome's goal was to distract and detour the Foot away from the docks as best as they could. The main goal was to get to Karai with minimal obstacles.

On patrol for the Foot were all the henchmen; Bebop and Rocksteady were near the perimeter of the Shredder's lair while Fishface and Rahzar were instructed to cover as much ground of the city as they could to spot the turtles and their two friends. Shredder and Tiger Claw were awaiting a signal of either the sighting of the turtles and their friends or of the capture of Karai. They had no idea that the turtles were carrying around retromutagen. Shredder had Stockmanfly working furiously on a way to either mutate the turtles to a specimen that ate rats or a way to make them fall under his rule and kill Master Splinter. Regarding April and Casey, he would most likely dispose of them.

Leo, Mikey and Casey were on a building in close range of Shredder's lair, looking over the city and looking for any sign of the Foot. They saw some movement in the distance, waiting for it to get near to determine what it was. It couldn't be Karai; if it was her, the plan could backtrack; but they had planned for that situation. Casey narrowed his eyes and recognized Fishface and Rahzar. He smirked, pounding his fist into his hand.

"Eheh, time to punch some scum."

"Not yet," Leo whispered. "Wait for it."

As the two henchmen drew closer, they looked up and spotted three figures on a rooftop.

"I have long awaited for turtle soup," Fishface declared suddenly, stopping in his tracks. Rahzar turned and looked in the direction Fishface was. He snarled.

"I hope Michelangelo is up there; I would like to give him a special 'thanks' for what he did to me."

"NOW!" Leo yelled, jumping off the rooftop. He landed with no harm and waited to hear Mikey land behind him. As soon as he did, Leo fluidly unsheathed his katanas as Mikey swiftly grabbed his nunchucks spinning, its blades out of its handles. Before Fishface could make a snide remark, photon pucks rained down from the roof and exploded around the two henchmen.

"I miss space," Casey said, beginning to descend from the roof. He stood tall, lowering his mask and narrowing his eyes, smiling behind his mask. "But I missed watching you two dancing for me even more."

"Oh, talking garbage! He would make do for the freakish fly Stockman when we're done with him," Fishface replied, nudging Rahzar.

"Michelangelo. I owe you a proper thanks for what you've done to me. After all, I didn't get to experience how it was to feel like lowlife scum before you came around," Rahzar growled, bucking towards a bit.

"Now, now, you two; haven't you learned?" Leo gave the two henchmen a twisted looking smirk, his eyes hard. "You really shouldn't mess with my family."

* * *

Raph, Donnie and April were growing near the docks with no hassle so far. They hadn't been spotted and they hadn't seen any sign of the Foot yet. This was a good sign, as it could mean that Team Awesome were distracting them or that the Foot weren't out. While they used stealth to near the docks, Bebop and Rocksteady were instructed to look for the teens from the lair and not to let them infiltrate it. Bebop noticed some movement on a building from afar and saw a bow staff, letting out a loud "ooh-ooh!"

"What is it, Comrade?" Rocksteady asked. "It better be good; you know I do not like you 'ooh-ooh'ing for no reason."

"I see the brainy turtle," Bebop replied. "Over there! Let's go."

"Nyet; Shredder ordered us to stay and protect the lair."

"Ugh, fiiiiine," Bebop whined. He pulled out a device and spoke into it. "Shredder, we see the turtles. We're gonna go bop 'em."

A 'go' was the only word uttered from the other side. Bebop squealed excitedly as he made his way, with Rocksteady rolling his eyes as he ran soon after.  
Raph, April and Donnie were very close to the docks, almost home free, when suddenly they heard a squeal and an excited yell. April turned around, her tessen in hand.

"We've been spotted!" April hissed. Donnie and Raph quickly pulled out their weapons. Donnie shoved the bottle of the retromutagen into his belt, making sure it was secure. "We were so close."

"Don't worry, we can still get there in time," Donnie replied. "We covered this."

"Besides, who doesn't like a good beat down?" Raph smiled, waving his sais in his hands.

April and Donnie glanced at each other before they looked at Raph. "Are you sure you're okay, Raph?" April asked.

Raph's smile faltered. "I'm fine. I've trained enough and I'm feeling okay."

"Just making sure."

"Don't worry about it, all right?" Donnie shot Raph a look, to which Raph sighed at. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. But I'm okay. Honest."

April smiled a bit. "Okay. Let's get Karai back."

A sudden beam of light burst before them, and Bebop was sliding from the roof across from them to their roof. Rocksteady appeared out of nowhere, joining his side. He huffed hard as he clenched his fists. Bebop had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was laughing.

"Stop giggling like an idiot; it's annoying enough to hear you talk," Raph spat.

"My laughter is a treasure!" Bebop yelled defensively. "If anything's wrong here, it's y'all!"

"You meet fated doom tonight, turtle scum," Rocksteady butt in. "I have long awaited to hear you scream as I pound you into ground."

"And for the lady here," Bebop said, approaching April. "We'll go easy on you, but you're still gonna have your butt kicked!"

"Why did you bring little girl, turtles? She only makes you more weak," Rocksteady laughed.

A sudden swish of movement glided towards them, then a random jolt of pain ran across a part of their faces. The henchmen winced and immediately raised their hands to cover the sudden wound. When they looked down at their hands, they saw some little smudges of red on their hands. They looked up as they heard April chuckle lowly, waving her tessen in her hand.

"Weak, huh?" April smirked.

Rocksteady and Bebop glared at her, taking a step forwards.

"Aw, come on, you know what they say," Raph said, stepping forwards and twirling his sais in his hands. "Talk shit, get hit."

* * *

A sound of frustration came from Mikey as he pushed against Rahzar's hands. Rahzar was hovering over him and pushing down on him to try to get him to fall, to which he would slam on the turtle if successful. Mikey kept his arms as straight as he could so that there was no way Rahzar would get the advantage, focusing his strength into his arms. He used one of his feet to push himself up, grunting as he started pushing back more than Rahzar was. Rahzar growled and started pushing back, using his strength in his arms. Mikey glanced down for a second and saw that Rahzar had poor footing on the ground. He quickly looked back at Rahzar, then dropped to the ground and spun his legs under Rahzar, watching as he fell. Mikey quickly jumped back up, managing to grab his nunchucks from the ground before Rahzar got back up.

Leo and Casey were double-team attacking Fishface, meanwhile, avoiding his knife. They also knew to not get near Fishface's face, as he could bite them and poison them like he had done with Raph. Casey wanted to get near enough to the live, talking sushi so that he could shock him, which would- - hopefully- - give enough of a jolt to make his gear dysfunctional and take him out of the battle. When Fishface thrust toward them, trying to jab them with his knife, Casey pushed his arms out and placed them on Fishface, pressing down hard as the electricity from his gloves started to surge throughout the fish. Casey and Leo were a bit disturbed by the noises that Fishface made as the jolts went through his body, but the job was done. Fishface flopped to the ground.

Rahzar's attention turned towards the flopping fish and he went over to check on him. Fishface tried using his robotic legs to get up, but it seemed that the circuits were fried. Fishface started shallowly gasping, as the jolt had managed to cut off the flow of his water supply. Fishface growled lowly, ready to fight some more. But when he looked up, he saw a cloud of smoke. When the smoke subsided, the two turtles and the vigilante were nowhere to be seen. Rahzar snarled a bit and turned his attention back to Fishface. He had to get him back to Shredder's lair, even if it wasn't what he wanted to do.

As he grabbed hold of Fishface, Rahzar spoke as if he were talking to himself. "Master, Xever is down, and they have escaped."

On the other side of the line, Rahzar heard an abrupt pound. "See to it that Xever returns alive. Then join the pig and the rhino; they are battling with some of the turtles. Tiger Claw and I shall set out to join the battle soon."

* * *

Raph and Donnie had their attention focused on Rocksteady, avoiding his charges as best they could. When they were able to, they landed an attack on him, but it was proving difficult with the rhino's dexterity and speed. Rocksteady noticed a container in Donnie's belt, eyeing it a while before he registered it as retromutagen. He was about to launch for it when Donnie leaped up and smacked his bow staff on the rhino's head.  
April was doing well on her own against Bebop, avoiding his punches and his technological advances. April felt a buzz from her pocket, groaning as she struggled to answer it.

"Kind of busy right now!" She yelled as Bebop tried to strike another blow on her.

"Red, we're comin' for ya!" Casey replied from the other side of the line. "Don't think we'll be alone, though!"

"Okay sounds good bye!"

"Awh, can't handle me?" Bebop asked, smiling smugly. "Don't blame you; I'm a package, after all, ooh-ooh!"

"Yeah, right!" April growled as she landed a kick on Bebop's torso. He snorted, stopping for a moment before he ran for her again. The two stopped as they heard a yell from the distance. Rocksteady stopped as well, so Raph and Donnie landed some punches on him as he was distracted. Leo, Mikey and Casey suddenly jumped into view, their weapons already in their hands.

"Aw, great, more of these fools?!" Bebop whined, turning his attention back to April. "More of ya to beat down; sounds good to m-eeeee!"

One of Casey's photon pucks landed right by Bebop's foot, making him lose his footing and fall down. "Suckah!"

A sudden burst surprised Casey, causing him to fall as well. Bebop chuckled as he got back on his feet. He had a small white disk in between his fingers. "You ain't the only one with explosive devices, suckah!" Bebop started to dance suddenly, moonwalking and thrusting his hips as shots of a purple substance burst from his belt and towards April. One brushed by her and landed near her. Casey narrowed his eyes and jumped up, landing onto Bebop's back. "Get off me, fool!"

"Try me, pig!" Casey laughed, pulling on Bebop's backpack. Bebop growled and let himself fall backwards, chuckling hysterically as Casey groaned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Nice try, punk, but I got more moves that oughta knock ya out!" Bebop turned his attention back to April, who was eyeing him with a cold look. He raised his hand to brush his mohawk, smiling as April's eyes widened. A laser burst from his mohawk, beaming in her direction. She couldn't move to avoid it, so she raised her tessen and had the beam bounce back to Bebop. He laughed a bit. "Ya got spunk, girl; I like you!"

"Leave her alone!" Casey yelled, swinging one of his hockey sticks at Bebop. It smashed on Bebop's back, making the pig writhe a bit before he straightened back up. He turned to look at the teenage boy. "Come get me."

Meanwhile, all four of the turtles were dealing with Rocksteady. With all of them working together, they were managing to tire out the rhino. It seemed that they were going to be able to defeat him, help out with Bebop, and get away. Rocksteady dropped to the ground on his hands and knees, breathing hard. The turtles ceased their attacks, turning their attention to Bebop. Rocksteady smiled to himself, putting on his brass knuckles and getting up. His eyes landed on Raph as he stood, so he immediately charged for him. Leo heard the rushing steps before the other three, and his eyes went small. He turned and jumped in front of the charging rhino, ready for the surge of pain to come.

Rocksteady was fine with this; harming any of the turtles was a step in the right direction. As he watched Leo's body propel towards a building he was bound to smash against, he equipped grenades in his hands. Raph felt a sudden draft of air beside him and watched, along with the others, as he crashed into the side of a small structure on the roof.

"Leo!" Raph yelled, running to Leo immediately. Leo didn't respond for a moment, worrying Raph, but then he coughed, bringing his hand to touch the back of his shell. "Leo, are you okay?"

"I-I'll be fine," Leo replied slowly, getting on his feet. "Come on, we can't stop now."

"Leo, you're hurt real bad," Raph said, halting him.

"Gotta keep trying," Leo replied, his voice tight. "Gotta give it my all."

Raph sighed, nodding and charging at the rhino alongside his brother. Rocksteady landed his brass knuckled punches on the two terrapins' torsos, then pulled out the grenades he had ready. "Comrade!" Rocksteady yelled to Bebop. Bebop met his glance, and they both nodded.

"Get rekt, suckahs!" Bebop squealed as he and Rocksteady dropped their explosive devices to the ground. The turtles and the two teens managed to respond in time, jumping away from where they threw down the explosives and sprinting to another roof. They all waited for some sign of the two henchmen as black smoke rose up. Lasers burst from within the smoke, almost hitting Mikey and Casey. "We ain't done with y'all yet! And we brought some friends!" From the smoke, the two emerged along with Rahzar, Tiger Claw, and Shredder.

The six teens tensed immediately, frozen to their spots.

"Awh, sewer apples," Mikey muttered.

"Come on, guys," Leo said slowly. "We planned for this."

"Zed?" Donnie asked quietly.

Leo nodded. "Zed. Go."

Donnie nodded, slowly stepping back as Leo and Mikey shifted in front of Donnie. Donnie ducked his head down and gave a nod towards April and Leo as he slowly managed to get away from the battle.

* * *

_"Okay, so being cornered or worn down is something that will most likely happen," Donnie had pointed out. "We can't leave that out."_

_"Donnie's right; if they see us, they're going to put up a fight," Leo agreed._

_"So, we do a backup plan if we're worn out or surrounded," Raph said, trying to clarify. "What happens if its both?"_

_The six teens pondered on this._

_"Oooh oooh!" Mikey raised his hand enthusiastically._

_Leo chuckled. "Yes, Mikey?"_

_"We could call it plan Zed; the last resort." Mikey had his arms together in front of him, then he slowly expanded them out. "If some or all of us are too worn out or hurt, and they surround us, we get some of us to leave one by one without letting them notice."_

_April nodded understandingly. "So since Donnie has the retromutagen, he would go first."_

_"Who else would go?" Mikey asked. They all turned to Leo._

_Leo had been deep in thought; his finger tapping his chin as he tapped his foot. His brow was creased and his eyes were squinted. It took a moment before he finally registered the stares he could feel on him. He looked up slightly, dropping his hand and stopping his foot tapping. "...what?"_

_"Who'll go during plan Zed?" Raph asked. "Don is a definite."_

_"Okay, Donnie would go first. Following him could be April, just in case Karai can't snap back into her right mind by herself, then Raph could go afterwards."_

_"Sounds like a good deal. So then you, Mikey and Casey would be left distracting them?"_

_"Dudes, what if Shredder is there?" Mikey asked suddenly._

_They all turned to look at Mikey. "Why would Shredder be there when he hasn't come out for any other fights?" Casey asked._

_"We do need to prepare for anything," April replied. "And it is Karai. He wants to get her back too. He might come out just to get her."_

_"If that's the case, then we'd need to re-prioritize. Shredder isn't honor bound, and he's tough. We could stick to trying to take down the rest before we fight him, or we could fight and land a few blows on him along the way," Leo responded. "Though, if we take them all down, we could be worn out to the point where he could take us down easily, or there's the chance that they defeat us and he... gets his way."_

_"So what do we do?" Raph asked._

_"We'll fight and try to avoid him. Most likely, he'll wait and watch until he can make the final move. It's how he is. He wants the last strike."_

* * *

As Donnie slipped away, he was silently thanking that none of the Foot had noticed. He waited until he was far away enough to start running, focused on making it to the docks.

"You should back down, Shredder," Leo announced loudly. "She doesn't want to go back with you. If you loved her, you- -"

"You dare try to separate me from my daughter?" Shredder bellowed. Even under his kabuto could he feel his glare.

"Man, if looks could kill..." Mikey muttered.

"She's not your daughter! You kidnapped her, you killed her mother, and you've done nothing but hurt her!"

"You fool; you shall meet your fate." With that said, his henchmen started to advance towards the teens, yelling battle cries. Luckily, before they charged, April had managed to leave.

Rocksteady advanced towards Raph, Tiger Claw attacked Leo, Rahzar made a beeline for Mikey, and Bebop started dancing towards Casey. None of them were aware that two of the six teens were not present, as they were completely focused on eliminating these pesky children.

* * *

"Donnie, wait up!" April whisper-yelled, running towards him. Donnie stopped in his tracks, looking back.

"April? You're here already?" Donnie asked. He felt a bit anxious.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"It feels like you slipped away too soon," Donnie replied, twiddling his fingers. "Never mind that. You're here now. Let's go before someone notices."

The two ran to the docks, both taking turns on looking back to see if they were being followed. April suddenly felt an ominous presence, slowing down for a moment but then quickening her pace. "Donnie, we're being followed, and it's someone dangerous."

"Misdirect," Donnie replied hastily, taking a sudden turn.

"Donnie!" April yelped, following him.

"How many?" Donnie asked.

"Just one."

Something suddenly dropped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. When the face was revealed, April and Donnie groaned.

"You have something Shredder wants. Time to give it up," Hun said, smiling. "Let's not waste time; just hand it o-" Donnie swung his staff under Hun's feet, watching as he fell to the hard ground. Hun laughed once, standing back up. "Man, kids these days. They just don't learn." Hun did a series of ridiculous poses before making an advance towards April.

"Why does everyone come for me?" April groaned. She rolled her eyes as she dodged Hun's punch and struck him with her tessen, hearing him hiss. "Thinks I'm an easy target, serves him right."

Donnie chuckled as April grumbled to herself, starting to assist her. "You should get out of here while you can. April doesn't play nice." Donnie suddenly fell back, and he gripped his stomach. "Jeez, neither should I."

Hun showed several more poses, which made it easy to land some blows on him. He was skilled, but he liked to show it in an... odd way.

"Where are the rest of you?" April wondered.

Hun laughed. "I'm the only one that's got skills and can actually fight. Those losers ca-"

"We don't have time for this!" Donnie groaned, throwing down a smoke bomb. He grabbed April's arm and started to run as the cloud of smoke started to fade away. They managed to take a turn that was out of Hun's viewing range. The two took a quick breather before starting to run for the docks again. Karai should be waiting there, and having her wait wasn't something they wanted. The longer the wait, the more of the chance of her going away was.

* * *

Watching all the fighting going on, Shredder noticed that two of the six teens were not battling. Shredder glared, suddenly yelling, halting the fight.

He glared down at the teens. "Where are your other two."

The henchmen looked at the four, then noticed that two of them were missing.

"The brainy turtle has retromutagen," Rocksteady said, turning to Shredder.

"Those fools had retromutagen and you didn't grab it?!" Bebop yelled.

"Stop. You; look around the city and look for heat signatures of the terrapin and the girl."

"Finally; been wantin' to get back to my old self-"

"You fool; they know where Karai is," Shredder interrupted with a harsh tone. "Find them and we get my daughter back."

"What about the four we currently have, Master Shredder?" Tiger Claw asked. The four turned to look, instantly groaning as the four were gone and a cloud of smoke arose.

"Get Karai by any means possible!" Shredder yelled, watching as the four immediately started running.

* * *

Donnie raised his vibrating T-Phone to his face, answering the call.

"Shredder and the Foot are following us; they figured it out. How close are you?" Leo asked.

"We're almost there; are you going to be able to hold them off?"

"They're looking for you two. We'll try our best."

"Okay, w-" Donnie bumped into something, but he couldn't see what. April joined his side, making sure he was okay. "What the-?"

"Donnie? Is everything okay?" Leo asked from his side of the line. "Donnie? What's going on?"

"Oohohohohoo, y'all thought you could get away!" A high pitched laugh followed the comment. Bebop turned off his cloaking mechanism, eyeing Donnie. "And with retromutagen, too! I could go back to my old beautiful self, and you tried to take it away from me!"

Donnie grumbled. "Bebop."

"Why don't I make ya a deal? Hand it over, and I'll let y'all go! Easy, right?"

"This isn't for you," April spat. "You don't know what this batch could do to you."

"I know if y'all tried so hard to sneak away with it, it's gotta work on any mutant, amirite?" Bebop laughed, already starting to dance.

Donnie let out a loud grunt of frustration, sweeping one leg behind Bebop's legs and one in front of them, twisting his body and watching the dancing idiot smack to the ground. Donnie jumped up and started running behind April. Before Bebop could get up, Donnie threw some ninja stars that surrounded Bebop, and one struck his belt, breaking the circuits of the belt and its abilities. Bebop growled as he looked down at his broken belt.

"Breaking my belt, might as well break them."

As they dashed away, Donnie raised his phone to his head again. "Leo, you still there?"

"Yeah, you okay?"

"Fine. Are they following you?"

"Yeah; we went with plan Fooled Ya."

"Try to meet us as soon as you can."

Donnie hung up, sliding his phone back into his belt. He drew in a breath, running more quickly than before. It took a moment for April to catch up with him, but she managed to. "What's going on?"

"They went with Fooled Ya."

"So it's just us right now?"

"Pretty much."

"And a pig who can see body signatures. Great."

* * *

"Guys, come on, we can't keep her waiting at the abandoned warehouse all night!" Mikey yelled, gasping and throwing his hand over his mouth quickly.

"MIKEY!" Casey, Leo and Raph yelled angrily.

As the four watched Rocksteady, Tiger Claw and Rahzar turn a bit in the direction of the abandoned warehouse, they smiled a bit before dashing behind the Foot. Mikey swung a nunchuck under Rahzar and watched him fall, smiling innocently as they passed him. Leo threw a ninja star at one of the tiny engines on Tiger Claw's jetpack and watched as he slowly descended to the ground. Raph and Casey jumped on top of Rocksteady, thrashing on him and hopping off as they tipped the rhino to the ground. They hurried in the direction of the warehouse, starting to take the plan into action.

Leo and Raph found an entrance and entered the warehouse, having Mikey and Casey follow. They sorted out the explosives they needed for this plan and planned a route in which to escape if the Foot caught up, which they probably would. They would have to work quickly. They had planted a bag in the warehouse with mannequin heads that they styled to have either Karai's haircut or styled to look like Karai's face in her snake form, the heads of April, Donnie and Raph. They went with the snake head along with taking out the heads of Donnie and April, getting rid of the bag with the other heads in it. They grabbed nearby sticks and jabbed it in the heads, giving it to Mikey and Casey, who would be shielding 'Karai' during the pursuit and have 'April and Donnie' running ahead. Just as they got rid of the bag, the Foot made their own entrance from above.

"If you want to live, sto-" Tiger Claw stopped talking as Leo and Raph threw the explosives at a wall and got away from the explosion. Black smoke clouded the inside of the warehouse for enough time for the teens to get a head start. When enough of the smoke subsided, the Foot went through the large hole and followed the teens. Spotting the 'head of Karai,' Tiger Claw started running faster, pulling out one of his guns and shooting at the teens. "Master Shredder, they have Karai. You should join us now."

"Okay, guys, you know what to do now," Leo said to the group. They all nodded, starting to take a route that would lead to the docks.

Mikey laughed to himself as he threw several smoke bombs to cover their tracks. "Fooled ya," he said in a sing-song tone.

* * *

Donnie and April reached the docks, looking around for any sign of Bebop. He couldn't use cloaking or anything on his belt, but he still had some tricks up his sleeve. April kept watch as Donnie looked around for Karai. He was silently hoping nothing else would happen to prolong the objective. He looked up as he heard a holler from above. He was hoping it wasn't Bebop, as he didn't want to deal with him. When his eyes landed on Mikey, he let out a sigh of relief. Mikey and Casey dropped their props, joining- - along with Raph and Leo- - Donnie and April.

Donnie, Raph and Leo began to search around for Karai while Casey, April and Mikey were the lookouts. Raph was the one who found Karai; she was huddled in a tight spot, hard to find except for the fact that her eyes shone through the dark.

"Karai, it's Raph. We got the retromutagen; come out."

Sensing that the figure was not a threat, Karai slithered out of her hiding place, squinting at the brightness of the moon.

"Leo, Donnie! I found her!" Raph yelled, turning his attention to her as they ran to him.

"Karai?" Leo said, looking at her intently. "Can you understand us?"

Karai blinked a few times before her eyes flashed with recognition. "You're all alive?" She asked.

Donnie stifled a laugh. "That's what I was thinking, too," Donnie mumbled to himself.

"Donnie," Raph chuckled, elbowing him.

Waiting until they were given the clear, April, Mikey and Casey were on high guard.

"Did they follow you guys?" April asked.

"They lost track of us," Mikey smiled. "Dudes, we actually got away with it!"

"Don't jinx it, bro," Casey replied.

Suddenly, Shredder and his clan appeared, all surrounding the three. They had been searching from above, and they had spotted the three once they stepped on crates. Tiger Claw and Rocksteady positioned themselves in front of the teens while Rahzar and Bebop had been positioned behind. Shredder was in between his strongest, his figure threatening enough already.

Casey groaned. "You jinxed it!"

* * *

Hearing a loud groan from Casey, Leo was on high alert. "Shredder must have found us."

Karai's eyes widened. "Shredder?" She started to back into her hiding spot. "You must escape. Leave me here; you all shouldn't die for my sake."

"No one's dying, Karai," Leo tried to assure her. "Raph, Donnie, come on; we're not done yet. Karai, stay here, okay?"

"But Leo- -" Karai didn't get the chance to finish, as the three had already dashed away. "You could have given me the retromutagen."

As the three went to go see what was going on, the Foot were starting to close in on the other three.

"Stop!" Leo yelled, making sure he got their attention.

"Hand over Karai to me now, or you will surely suffer," Shredder said, stepping towards them.

"We'll take our chances. She's never going back with you; not on our watch."

"You fools will make nice trophies; it will be especially pleasant when the rat lays eyes on you."

Before another battle could begin, Karai slithered into view. "Ssstop!"

Everyone turned to look at her. Leo felt his heart stop and eyes go small. "Karai, no!"

"Karai," Shredder said, shoving aside Leo harshly. "My daughter..."

"Do not get near me," Karai hissed. When Shredder wouldn't cease his steps, she shut her eyes tightly. "Father. I am dangerous." Just saying that word to Shredder was like poison filling her lungs.

"I will assure vengeance for you, daughter. The Hamato clan will surely pay for what they have done to you," Shredder said, frozen in place. "Come with me."

"No." Karai raised her head to look at Donnie. "Donatello."

Donnie gulped quietly. "Yeah?"

"The retromutagen. Let's see if it works."

Donnie nodded, walking slowly towards Karai, being cautious as he passed Shredder. He locked eyes with Karai before he shut them, taking the container out from his belt. He raised his finger to the trigger, pushing on it and hearing the multiple spritzes. He opened his eyes slowly, watching as she abruptly fell to the ground, starting to writhe in pain. "K-Karai!"

They all watched as she slowly transitioned from her mutant form back to her original form. Her scales all fell off and her pale skin returned to its original tone. Her eyes were no longer green, and she no longer had snakes for hands or a tail. Donnie bent down and checked on her. She weakly draped an arm around his shoulders, using her other arm to grab onto his arm as he slowly got them both on their feet. She felt weak yet every muscle and joint in her body felt as if she had just done an intense workout. She weakly looked to the people staring at her, heavily relying on Donnie on keeping her standing.

Shredder took off his kabuto, taking just one step forward. "Karai- -"

"Just- leave me alone. I need time to recover."

"Recover at home," Shredder replied, about to make another step towards her.

"Stay back!" Karai yelled suddenly, pure strain and frustration in her voice. "Don't come near me. Don't touch me."

"You called me father."

"Being a kunoichi means you have to learn the art of deception," Karai spat. "I lied." She drew out a heavy breath, managing to stand up herself. "I'm not going with you or the turtles."

That caught everyone's attention. "You're not coming home with us?" Mikey asked, his voice filled with sadness.

"No. Shredder will probably try to follow. I don't want any more fights tonight. Everyone get lost."

They all shuffled awkwardly, parting their ways. The Foot followed Shredder as he somehow respected Karai's wishes and headed back to his lair. The turtles, April and Casey all stayed put, not sure on what they were supposed to do. Donnie was still supporting her.

"Uhm, Karai, do you need finding a place to stay tonight?" Donnie asked. "W-we don't want you sleeping on the streets, especially when you're in so much pain."

Karai had a coughing fit for a minute, her posture dropping towards the ground. Donnie lifted her up, not minding that all her weight was pressed into him. They all looked at her worriedly. They approached her, which she didn't seem to mind.

"Come stay at my place tonight," April said suddenly. "I'm sure my dad won't mind."

Karai laughed weakly. "You sure you're okay with me near your dad after that time I made him lie to you?"

April smile weakly. "You didn't have much of a choice."

Karai sighed. "If... if you don't mind. It's just one night."

"Not at all. I'll try to help you feel better."

"Th-thanks, April. Thank you all," Karai said, exchanging looks with them all. She looked at Leo a little longer than the rest. Leo was the one who knew she wasn't good at saying it, and his smile made her feel a little better despite her current position. "Could you help me to her place? I'm not really..."

Raph slung her other arm around him, looking at her. "That's what family is for."


	15. Beddy Bye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I didn't expect that last chapter to be so long, yeesh! This chapter will be much shorter, and it won't be the best. But rest assured, the next chapter will be more exciting; hope it'll suffice~]

Laying on the bed as April was out of the room, Karai was extremely enjoying the feeling of a bed under her again, especially a soft one. After Donnie gave her the retromutagen- - and it actually taking effect- - and transforming back to her old self (a very painful experience), a soft bed was something she really needed. She didn't mind that her body sank into April's bed and she didn't mind the instant warmth. Sleeping in little hovels or on the streets for such a long time had really made her miss the luxuries of life. Karai was still a bit baffled that April invited her to stay at her place for the night.

April came back in the room, her hair wet and a bathrobe covering her form. April smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, just going to grab some clean clothes and get dressed."

"Don't be; this is your place. Your bed is really comfy, by the way," Karai said, gently thrashing about on the bed. "You have a nice place."

April laughed. "It's just an apartment."

Karai smiled a bit blankly. "Mm, better than nothing, though. Are you sure it's okay for me to sleep on the bed? I don't mind sleeping on the floor or whatever."

April gave Karai an odd look. "No way are you sleeping on the floor. Do you want some water or anything? We have some juice and soda."

"Water is okay."

"You don't have to try to hold back; I know it's been a while since you've had any of these foods."

For some reason, this made Karai sheepish. It was going to take a while to transition back into the norm of society. April could tell she was a bit uncomfortable. "It's like learning how to walk or something," Karai said out of nowhere. "It's... not new, but it's weird." She looked at April and wiped at the corner of her eye. "How am I going to adjust to all of this? Just laying on your bed is so much."

April's smile fell. She walked over to her bed and sat at the edge of it. "However long it takes, you have a family that will gladly help you along the way."

Karai was silent for a moment. "Not to sound stupid, but uhm, can we watch a movie and eat or whatever?"

April giggled a bit. "Yeah; after what happened tonight, we should have some relaxation time."

* * *

The turtles practically crashed as they came into the lair. After carrying out more than one plan, the constant battles and never getting a proper breather, they were downright exhausted. Battered, bruised and cut. Donnie didn't know if he had it in him to treat any of his brothers or even himself. Having to deal with Rocksteady, Bebop and Hun all the while worrying about being spotted by Shredder or the Foot, Donnie barely shuffled to the couch. Black smudges almost covered their masks along with smudges on their forms. Visible bruises and cuts stuck out.

Splinter was heading to the kitchen to treat himself to another cheesicle when he saw his sons in the pit, just collapsed and injured. He hurried towards his sons, checking their pulses. It was weak, but it was there.

"My sons, how much have you endured?" Splinter asked.

"More than we can handle," Raph replied with a strained voice. He had pushed through his stomach pain. It wasn't as intense as the first couple of days, but it was enough to make running around so much uncomfortable. Not to mention hand-to-hand combat with Rocksteady and taking blows to the stomach. Raph knew it was going to be difficult, but tonight was just so much. "Shredder showed up."

Splinter's ears flicked. "Did he- -"

"He didn't fight or anything. He was just focused on getting his hands on Karai."

"Where is Miwa?"

"She's with April," Mikey replied. Mikey endured some many cuts and his whole body felt as if it were locked up. Rahzar was quite the adversary, he had to admit. Team-attacking Rocksteady with his brothers had taken a lot out of him as well. "April said it was okay for her to crash at her place for a bit. She's in good hands, Sensei."

"Leonardo, Donatello, are you two conscious?"

The two grumbled in response, not wanting to speak. Being smashed against a wall to protect his hurt brother, earning cuts and gashes from Tiger Claw, and getting punched in the gut from Rocksteady had made the leader experience pain almost as excruciating as the day Shredder rendered him unconscious. Leo was drained physically and mentally. Seeing Karai writhe in pain as she reverted back to her normal form had also added onto the strain of the night, but he was happy that they completed their goal; retro mutate Karai and make sure she didn't end up with Shredder.

Splinter didn't want to leave them piled on the floor. One by one, he carried them each to their rooms. He had a backflash of him and the turtles, when they were toddlers, and he would carry them each to their rooms after a day they had exhausted themselves. Obviously, they were heavier now than they were back then.

Splinter took Leo first, seeing that it was better to be uncomfortable now rather than later. Leo immediately let out a cry of pain as Splinter picked him up as gently as he could manage to, striding towards Leo's room. Leo tried his best to not writhe in his father's arms. When Leo was placed on his bed, Leo hissed through grit teeth as his limbs locked up. Splinter didn't leave until Leo had visibly and verbally become less tense.

Next was Donatello, who tried to push Splinter away immediately when jolts of pain ran through his body. Splinter tightened his hold, though he knew it would only bring more discomfort. Donnie breathed heavily as Splinter carried him to his room. Donnie saw his bed and fell out of Splinter's arms and into the bed. Donnie writhed around until he was as comfy as he could get.

Raphael was less of a hassle than Leo and Donnie were. Raph held his breath and tried not to squirm with every step Splinter took. Splinter set him down on his bed and waited until Raph stopped tossing and turning. Raph buried his face into his pillow, letting out a loud groan. Splinter set Chompy onto Raph's pillow, watching as his son's new pet turtle crawled onto his shoulder and instantly fell asleep. With that, Raph did the same.

Michelangelo was the last of them to be carried, and with how tired he was, it was no problem. As Splinter carried his youngest son to his room, he watched as Mikey stirred and tried to curl up against him in his arms. Splinter smiled sadly as he entered Mikey's room and set him down on the bed. He rubbed the top of the terrapin's head for a moment to ease him to slumber. Once Splinter heard Mikey's little snore, he got up and left the room.

* * *

Casey quietly lugged his way throughout his home into his room, trying his best not to awaken his family. He set down his bag of hockey sticks and slid off his huge gloves onto a nearby chair. As he shuffled to his bed, he slid his hockey mask off and set it near his bed. He lamely jumped onto the mattress, instantly regretting it as pain and aches surged throughout his body. As he turned on his side, a stinging and pressure feeling arose, making him wince. He sat up and looked down at his side, seeing a cut mark that had made contact with his skin. Casey figured Fishface had actually managed to cut him before he had shocked the talking sushi, but hadn't noticed until now. _'Well, thanks, adrenaline rush,'_ Casey thought to himself as he got up to get some materials to patch himself up.

After applying peroxide, alcohol and bandages to the wound, he laid back down on his bed and tried to get some shut eye. His back wasn't feeling all too great, especially when Bebop practically body slammed him to the ground. Fighting the dancing pig all night had proven to be a hassle, especially with such taunting and high-squealed laughter. Jumping on an angry rhino hadn't been one of his brightest ideas, either.

He knew that the moment he woke up the next day, the pain would be twice as bad, so he might as well get as much sleep as he could. With that final thought, he knocked out.

* * *

April had tried her best to stay awake and watch movies with Karai, but the pain and the exhaustion was finally getting to her. Facing Rocksteady, Hun, and too much of Bebop had put a strain on her. Dealing with two narcissistic scumbags and an angry one wasn't the exact definition of an easy battle. She knew that it would be hard, but this was a whole other story. As Karai popped some more popcorn in her mouth, April's head was lolling a bit to the side. Eventually, April had leaned downwards enough to the point where she fell on Karai's back.

Karai turned her head to look at April, a bit puzzled. She was about to say something when she saw the red head asleep and looking very comfortable. Karai breathed a soft exhale, feeling a bit guilty. April wouldn't be so tired if Karai hadn't tried to seek revenge on Shredder so long ago. None of what went down tonight would have happened if she had just heaved Splinter's words and stayed in the lair that day. Karai shook her head a bit, reminding herself that her mutation was no one else's blame but Shredder's.

Karai took the blanket she was using as a pillow and draped it over April. April stirred a bit and turned her head to face the other way and went back to sleep. Karai didn't mind that April was using her back as a pillow; it was the least she could do to give April some comfort. Karai wasn't really tired, but she didn't want to be sleeping throughout the next day. She turned down the volume on April's laptop and laid her head on her crossed arms, closing her eyes. She didn't know how long it would take to get the jist of the normal life, but she was glad she was even struggling to do so. She rested easy knowing she was in an apartment rather than in a crate.


	16. A Process

As Splinter expected, the turtles were still sound asleep in their rooms by noon. He silently went in each of their rooms to check on them to ensure they were still breathing. Worry for his sons never ceased; it only ever rose every time they left the lair. After briefly checking on them, Splinter went to grab something to eat. He didn't do much but except try to pass time until his sons awoke. He meditated, had two meals, and sat through an hour of programs he had no interest in until one of the boys woke up. He heard a soft grunt from Donnie's room and immediately rushed over to the room.

Splinter didn't expect Donnie to wake up first, but he wasn't going to complain. He stepped in just as Donnie sat up on the bed. Donnie examined himself to see how many wounds he would have to address to later on. As he tried to get up, a sudden pain shot in his head, making him sit back down. He tried to rub his head to lessen the pain, but it wasn't working. Splinter swiftly went to the kitchen to get some tea ready and grabbed some pills just to be on the safe side. He got back to Donnie as soon as he could, sitting beside him.

Donnie didn't ever expect to be so happy to lay eyes on a cup of tea. He slowly reached one hand out to grab the tea, giving Splinter a weak smile. Donnie took a sip of the tea, not minding that it was still hot. "Sensei, did you happen to bring any pain p- -" Splinter placed two painkillers in Donnie's calloused free hand, answering the terrapin's question. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling, Donatello?" Splinter asked.

Donnie chuckled a bit. "Not the best. Everything hurts."

"You should rest, my son," Splinter advised. "You won't be feeling better for a while."

"I want to assess the guys's wounds before I get back to rest, Sensei," Donnie replied. "I know I shouldn't try to move up and about in such short time, but I can't rest easy until I treat them."

Splinter drew in a sharp breath. He knew Donatello could get stubborn, and when he was, he wouldn't rest easy until he resolved the problem. Splinter sighed, then nodded at his son. "Awake or asleep?"

Donnie raised a brow. "Come again?"

"Would you like to assess them while they are asleep or when they are awake?"

Donnie genuinely smiled. "Awake. They like to kick in their sleep sometimes, especially if they're really tired."

Splinter chuckled. "Well then, we shall wait."

* * *

April took in a sharp breath as she raised her head up. She blinked her eyes a couple times to open her eyes more easily. She looked around and registered that she was in her room, but not in her bed. She slowly sat up, biting down hard on her lip so as not to hiss in pain. She ran her hand over her face and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears. She looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep on Karai's back, and she instantly turned red. She slowly scrambled to get on her feet, tiptoeing out of the room as best she could so she wouldn't wake Karai.

April popped her head into Kirby's room to see if he was there, then around the apartment. Not seeing him around, she figured he left to run errands or something. She made herself a bowl of cereal and poured a glass of water. She grabbed a bottle of painkillers from a cabinet and popped two into her hand. She popped them in her mouth and took a drink of water, shuddering as she felt the pills go down her throat. She started eating her cereal as she made her way back to her room, stopping in place as she saw Karai standing up.

Karai turned around, her eyes fixated on April. "Oh, hey."

"Hi." Karai bent down and started picking up scraps of food off the floor, not wanting to leave a mess. April joined her side and placed a hand on Karai's shoulder, halting her. "Y-you don't have to do that. I'll sweep it up in a bit."

Karai grabbed onto April's arm as she slowly stood back up. "Okay."

"Do you want some breakfast?" April asked. "We have choices of different cereals. I could whip up some eggs if you'd like."

Karai chuckled. "It's past noon. But sure, cereal sounds fine."

April's eyes widened a bit. "Did you check the time? It's really past noon?"

"No; living basically on the streets, I had to depend on the sun to know the time, I guess. Is your, uhm, father home?"

"He's not here. I'll call him in a bit to see where he is. You're in the clear."

Karai nodded. She rubbed her arm as she stepped out of the room and made her way to the kitchen. "So, this is weird, but is it okay if I... take a shower?"

"Go on ahead, it's no problem," April replied, opening the cabinet full of cereals. "Help yourself. I'm gonna check up on the guys."

Karai froze. "You're going out? That's probably not the best thing to do; I mean, you went through a lot last night, and- -"

April laughed a bit, stopping Karai. "No, I'm gonna call them. All of us are probably just going to stay in for a couple of days."

Karai closed her mouth and nodded a bit. "Oh, okay. I should try to find a place to sleep tonight, then."

Now it was April's turn to freeze. "What do you mean?"

"I don't wanna intrude; having me one night is enough. I wasn't really nice to you, I wouldn't want to be a bother any longer."

"Karai, don't worry. You can stay here as long as you'd like to. I don't mind."

"Are you sure? You don't have to let me stay here, I understand if- -"

April approached Karai and laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her. "Stay here. It's no trouble at all." Karai pursed her lips for a moment, then smiled. April removed her hand from Karai's shoulder and brought out her T-Phone. "I won't be long, okay? Make yourself comfy."

* * *

The buzz of his phone annoyed him to the point of waking up. Casey groaned and threw his pillow over his head, trying to block the sound, but to little avail. He sat up and reached out for his phone, answering the call and raising it to his ear. "Yeah?"

"Casey! Did I wake you? You sound really tired."

Casey rubbed his eyes, smiling a bit. "Aye, Red. Yeah, but it's whatever. What's up?"

"Checking up on you. How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks," Casey replied, stretching his limbs out. He grunted, immediately regretting his choice.

His grunt startled April. "Casey, what's wrong?"

"Stretched out; not the best decision," he replied in a hiss. "I'm probably gonna get a charlie horse or something. How are ya holdin' up, Red?"

"Oh you know, could be better. I'm feeling really stiff, and my legs ache."

"I feel that. Hey, how's Karai doin'?"

April cupped her hand over the speaker, turning to check on Karai. She pressed the phone back to her ear. "She's kind of jittery, but she's okay. It's going to take a while for her to adjust. She's acting sheepish and everything she looks at, she looks at it with this like, grateful look in her eyes."

Casey ran a hand through his hair. "This has gotta be super weird for her; havin' to get in the swing of things and not livin' with Shred-head anymore."

"Yeah, I know. I'm doing the best I can to help her."

"You're doin' great, Red, don't sweat it. You should check up on the guys."

"I know, I was going to call them after we finish. You call me whenever, okay?"

"Gotcha. Later, Red."

"Bye, Jones."

Casey set his phone aside as he slid his legs off the bed and let them hang off the side. He had a killer headache, not to mention his back felt like they had knots all over. He sucked in a breath, making himself get out of bed. He didn't care for the time, he just wanted the pain to go away already. He dragged himself to the bathroom and made sure there was a towel. Once he spotted one, he took off his clothes and stepped in the shower. He wasn't one to take hot showers often, but this time he would make an exception. The hot water was like a temporary painkiller for him; taking some of the pain away and the weight off his shoulders. He did his best to wash his wounds and not hiss.

After he showered, he got dressed and grabbed the alcohol, peroxide and bandages again. He treated all his little cuts and was careful with the gash on his side. He thought it was just a cut at first, but the shower proved otherwise; the cut was open enough to show tissue. He made sure he applied it all correctly and had bit down on his headband as he did so. He looked at his arms and legs, not happy with the amount of bruises there were. He had put on a long sleeve shirt and put a tank top over it along with some baggy shorts. As much as he liked kicking butt, it wasn't worth the amount of pain he was feeling.

* * *

Donnie had just stepped out of his room, with assistance from Master Splinter, when April called him. The vibration of his T-Phone spooked him for a moment, but he relaxed as he heard the ringtone. He grabbed it and raised it to his face. "Hello?"

"Hey, Donnie, I didn't wake you, did I? That'd be the second time I woke someone up."

"No, I've been up for a couple of minutes, don't worry. How are you? How's Karai?"

"I'm okay, just feeling really stiff and achy. Karai's trying to adjust. What about- -" April paused when she heard a grunt from Donnie on the other side of the line. "Donnie, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just trying to get used to being on my feet, is all."

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I'll go back to bed when I treat the guys."

April rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Stubborn as always. Are they awake?"

"No, they're still sleeping. It's just me and Master Splinter for now."

"Have you treated yourself yet?"

Donnie didn't reply for some seconds. He cleared his throat. "N-no. I haven't." He immediately pulled the phone away from his face.

"Donnie! Are you serious? You haven't taken care of yourself yet?"

Donnie hesitantly pressed his phone back to the side of his head. "N-no."

April let out a frustrated sigh. "C'mon, Don. You should at least assess yourself, not wait around. _Please_."

Splinter laughed to himself as he and Donnie had finally reached the couch. He carefully helped Donnie sit down, going to Donnie's lab afterward to get supplies. Donnie felt his face warm up. "Nice one; yelling at me in front of Master Splinter."

April started to laugh. "Oh my- - I didn't know he was with you!" She pressed her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her laugh. It somewhat worked. Donnie couldn't help but to laugh a bit, too. "I'm sorry, but that was hilarious. Oh gosh. Treat yourself, okay? I'll call you later."

"You, too. Bye." Donnie slid his phone into his belt just as Master Splinter came back with the dreaded red and purple medicine along with some bandages and wrappings. He tried focusing on something else, but it wasn't working. He was nervously looking down at the medicine. Splinter caught his glance and looked at his son. "S-sorry, Sensei, I'm just a bit sheepish."

Splinter nodded. "It is for your benefit, Donatello."

"I-I know," Donnie breathed out. "Doesn't really help, though. Let's just get it over with."

Splinter handed him a little throw pillow. "You don't want to wake your brothers and make them sprint out of bed."

Donnie nodded, accepting the pillow. "Right. That'd only make them feel worse."

Donnie inhaled sharply, already gripping tightly onto the pillow. He tilted his head back and braced for the inevitable sting. Splinter decided to apply the red medicine first so that the worst would be over with sooner. His brow creased as he saw how many cuts Donnie had on him. Splinter decided to start with Donnie's legs, kneeling down and propping one on his knees. As Splinter applied it to the largest and longest gash on the terrapin's leg, Donnie took in another sharp breath and immediately raised the pillow to his face, letting his loud groan be muffled. Donnie's leg twitched at the pain, but Splinter had it held down. Splinter waved his hand over it to get some air on it so that it would hurt less.

The process didn't get much easier nor less painful for Donnie. Every application of the red medicine made him want to pull out his imaginative hair. After Splinter applied it to all the cuts and gashes on Donnie's body, he opened the purple medicine. Donnie's face felt all twitchy and tense, and his cheeks felt like it had so much pressure in them. Donnie looked down and relaxed just a bit when he saw the purple bottle in Splinter's hand.

"Are you all right, my son?" Splinter asked quietly.

"I'll be fine, father," Donnie replied meekly. "It hurts, but I'll be okay."

Splinter nodded, sighing a bit before he brushed the purple liquid over Donnie's largest cut on his leg. Splinter was worried about it; it wasn't easy to, but tissue could be seen. "You need to address this wound with more attention, Donatello. It concerns me."

Donnie nodded. "I will."

After several minutes of applying the purple substance and then bandages and wrappings, Splinter rose to his feet. Donnie reached out for his arm, and Splinter helped him grab onto him. Donnie grunted as he stood up, gripping onto Splinter's arm tightly. Donnie was about to apologize when Splinter assured him it was okay. Donnie wanted to try to walk around the pit and see how it would go, but Splinter wanted him to eat first. They were heading to the kitchen when they heard shuffling from the rooms of the other three. Splinter looked down at Donnie immediately.

"It's okay, Sensei, you should check on them. I'll make it to the couch."

"Are you certain, Donatello?"

"I'll be okay."

Splinter hesitantly released his hold on Donnie, nodding once before walking away. Donnie slowly but surely made his way back to the couch, waiting for Splinter to come out with one of his brothers. First to come out was Raphael, then Leonardo, and lastly Michelangelo. He had walked the three to the couch as he had with Donnie. He went to Donnie's lab to grab more of the red and purple medicine along with more bandages and wrappings. Donnie carefully got off the couch and knelt in front of his brothers, between Mikey and Leo. Splinter was knelt between Leo and Raph. Donnie held his hand out for some of the medicine, bandages, and wrappings. Splinter placed some in Donnie's hand and placed some in his own as well.

Donnie looked at his brothers as he handed them each their own pillows, giving them a wary smile as they gave him confused looks. "This is going to take a while."

* * *

April and Karai had finished their cereal, and Karai was feeling a bit nervous about taking a shower. She had been mentally scolding herself that she shouldn't be nervous about taking a shower, but it felt so surreal. This was all still weird for her; one minute she was a mutant, and the next she's her original self. Having the ability to have all these thoughts and not forgetting them in an instant wasn't helping her unsettled feeling, either. She wasn't aware of it, but she was just standing outside the bathroom door, breathing erratically.

April was walking back from the kitchen heading to her room when she saw Karai just standing in front of the bathroom, shaking. She took one step forwards then stopped, slowly reaching a hand out to Karai. She only grazed her fingers on Karai's arm, and Karai jolted, looking around frantically.

"Karai, hey, you're okay! You're safe, it's me, April!" April tried getting her attention, but it wasn't really working. April grabbed onto Karai's arm gently, making Karai look at April. Karai started to slowly get her breathing in control, and she registered where she was. She cleared her throat, not knowing what to do. What had just happened? "Karai, are you..." April released her hold.

Karai ran a hand through her hair, gripped it for a moment, then let her hand fall to her side. "I-I'm not sure how your shower works. Can you show me?"

April was baffled for a moment. "Uhm, yeah, I'll show you. There are different ways to work a shower, after all." April chuckled, trying to lighten the situation.

Karai only nodded. She started to rub her hand up and down her other arm. She gave April a small smile. She knew that April didn't have to put up with her, but she insisted. April smiled in return, opening the door. "I don't want to freak you out, April- -"

"Not at all," April replied, cutting her off.

"C-could you, uhm, stay in here? Or stay near, at least?"

April didn't expect that. "Sure, I don't mind. Let me find you some fresh clothes to wear first, okay?" April left to fetch some clothes, leaving Karai behind.

Karai looked around the small room, starting to feel a bit bitter. She clenched her fists, turning to face the mirror over the sink. April came back with some clothes and other essentials.

"Hey, I got you a- -" April followed Karai's gaze on the mirror. She became puzzled once again. "What are you thinking?"

"He did this to me."

April nodded once. She didn't know what to say.

"I'm not sure if I'll ever feel okay again, I don't know if I'll ever adjust to society norms, I don't know if I'll ever get to do simple things without freaking out. It's all his fault. He did this to me." A silence filled the small room. April waited for Karai to say something else, afraid of if she spoke, it would make things worse or not improve the current situation. Karai's fists slowly went away, her knuckles white. She turned to April, looking at the clothes in her arms. "Sorry."

April smiled nervously. "It's cool. Let me show you the ropes of the shower."

After showing Karai how to work the shower, which side was hot and which was cold, and how much to turn each knob if she wanted to adjust the temperature of the water, April stood outside the bathroom, leaning against the wall. April slid her hand down from her mouth to her chin, letting out a sigh. She wanted to do everything she could to help Karai, but she wasn't sure it was going to be enough. But that wouldn't keep her from trying.

Karai hadn't peeped once while she showered. Once she was done dressing, she stepped out of the bathroom and shuddered.

"You okay?" April asked.

"I'm fine, it's been a while." Karai had wrapped her hair in a towel, and the water had removed her makeup. She looked different. While April was trying to register Karai au natural, Karai had noticed April's cuts and bruises on her arms. She arched a brow. "Hey, have you not taken a look at yourself?"

April shook her head to get out of her trance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you have open cuts all over you, not to mention bruises."

April immediately rubbed her hands over visible cuts. "Oh. I guess I hadn't really noticed it."

Karai let out a soft exhale. "I've been distracting you, that's why. I can help you treat them, if you want."

"S-sure. Let me grab some things." April went into the bathroom, not minding the steam, grabbing the rubbing alcohol, peroxide, antibiotic cream, some cotton swabs, and some bandages. "Let's go in my room." April and Karai went into April's room, sitting on her bed. April rolled up her baggy pants, revealing more cuts and bruises from last night's brawl. There wasn't a lot, but there were more. "We should start with my legs."

"Whatever you want," Karai replied. April handed her a cotton swab as well as the alcohol bottle. Karai eyed the two items, then looked at April. "Are you sure you're okay with me helping you?"

"I'm sure," April replied. "Just press the cotton swab to the hole of the alcohol bottle. Tip the bottle over a bit until the end is wet, then press the swab to the wound. I know you can do it."

"What if I spill the alcohol on you or on the bed or something?"

April smiled. "If you spill it on me, that just means I get a stinging sensation all at once. On the bed, I can change the sheets. Don't worry."

Karai drew in a breath as she did what April instructed. She decided to go for the little cuts first, dabbing little splotches on April's legs. Karai wasn't feeling so shaky or so nervous about applying alcohol on April, and it was showing. Her face went from a stressed look to a relaxed and neutral look.

"Uhm, April."

"Hm?"

"...thanks."

April gave her a shrug and a smile. "No problem, princess."

Karai paused for a moment, her gaze drifting up to April's. They locked eyes for a moment, then they both started to laugh a bit. They were both still smiling and occasionally chuckling as Karai kept treating April. "Nice one."


	17. A Change of Pace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: These next two chapters are going to be- - I don't know the word I'm looking for- - nicer than the past chapters have been. You all are owed chapters that won't tug on the heart strings before what I have in plan comes into action. I hope you enjoy!]

The healing process had been going well for them all for the past week and a half. Raph had been worried about Leo since he had been thrown into a wall while the rest were worried about how Raph was holding up with his abdomen and the punch he had taken from Rocksteady. They were all worried for each other, trying to tend to one another all the while neglecting their own self care. Luckily, Splinter had been there to check on them and help them get around. The turtles had went from talking laps around the pit to doing basic moves to basic training. They were shaping up nicely.

Casey and April were doing fine as well. Casey's back still strained here and there, but the pain was subsiding more every day. The gash on his side was healing nicely; the visible tissue was no more, and the gash had become a cut. April's cuts were healing nicely and her major bruises were starting to fade away. April did katas and stretching to keep up and Casey had stuck to some exercise.

Karai was still having moments where she spaced out and had little panic attacks, but April was helping her out the best she could. Whenever Karai was having these moments, her hand would shake and she would reach it out. April would take her hand and hold onto it until Karai had calmed down. Karai thought that it would have weirded out April; having to hold her hand until she was okay. But April didn't mind it at all. April and Karai had went outside some few times and would stop when Karai felt uncomfortable.

As Karai awoke the next morning, she found April coming in with two bowls of cereal. Karai gave a small smile and took the bowl April handed out to her. They both ate in a comfortable silence. Karai had been thinking the previous night, and she wanted to go through with her plan. She cleared her throat.

April turned her head. "What's up? Is it the milk?"

Karai chuckled a bit. "No, the cereal is fine. I was just thinking."

"What about?"

"Well... it's been a while since you've really got out. I mean, it probably isn't fun being cooped up in here and only getting out for about 10 minutes without me freaking out or whatever. Why don't you call up the turtles and Casey and go have fun or whatever?"

April's mouth turned up a bit. "Well, it has been longer than a week... sure, I'll see if they're up for it. You should come, too!"

Karai smiled meekly. "Uh, are you sure? I mean, it's a break from me. You should take it. I know I've been a handful."

"It'd be good for you! It would give you a chance to try to feel more comfortable, especially around people that you know."

"I wouldn't really know what to do. I haven't really ever hung out in a group before..."

"Give it a try. You might like it?"

Karai squeezed a hand on her thigh. Her nerves started to pique. She hadn't done this kind of thing before. She easily got jittery just being outside for some amount of minutes. But she wanted to get better, she wanted to get past this; it's what she's wanted the minute she was mutated. She didn't want to fall victim anymore to another one of Shredder's messes and his stupid vendetta. She drew in a sharp breath, releasing her tight hold on her leg.

"...okay. I'll give it a try."

April smiled. "Good. I'll call up the guys and see if they're up for it."

* * *

"Quit it, Mikey!"

"C'mon, D, lighten up!"

"I would if you weren't running around my lab!"

Mikey halted at the doors of the lab, leaning against the wall. "You need to get outta here, bro. Take a break from the smarty thing."

"I like to be occupied, Mikey. Gives me something to do other than laying around and waiting for the day we can go back to the surface."

"That's why you have brothers to hang around, dude."

"I'll be out there in a bit, okay? Shoo!"

Mikey's shoulders slumped as he walked away from the lab. He didn't feel like sitting in front of the tv, and he had already served himself and his family some food. He went to the kitchen and opened the freezer, holding his hand out to pet his beloved pet. Ice Cream Kitty licked one of his fingers, purring and giving him a little meow as he smiled. "Aww, you're so cute!"

Meanwhile, Leo and Raph were sparring in the training area. They were cautious while sparring, careful not to go for each other's abdomens. Raph had tried to cease any moves that would make Leo end up on his shell. From the throw, Leo's shell had chipped a bit from the impact area. Raph's little crack on his plastron got an additional crack line from Rocksteady's blow. Leo tried to keep the mindset of 'it's all in your head' he had picked up back at the farmhouse, but it wasn't easy to.

The two were sparring well. Raph had managed to gain the upper hand and took it. He avoided Leo's blow and dropped to the floor, sweeping his legs under Leo's. Raph immediately got back up and froze as he saw that Leo was going to fall on his shell. His breath hitched as Leo made impact with the ground and grunted. Raph reached his hand out to Leo.

"You okay, bro?"

Leo nodded, taking Raph's hand. "Yeah, I'm okay. Nice move, Raph." Leo gave Raph a smile, trying to ease Raph's nerves. Raph sighed softly, feeling unsure. "Raph, don't worry. I'm okay. Falling to the ground always isn't nice, y'know?"

Raph rubbed the back of his head, giving Leo a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I know, it's just, your shell- -"

"It's cool, Raph. Don't sweat it. It didn't hurt all that much." Leo slapped his hand onto one of Raph's shoulders, pulling in the red-banded turtle. "Next time, I'll pin ya down." Leo flashed a smile at his brother.

Raph finally smiled, laughing a bit. "Yeah, right, fearless. Try me." Raph pushed Leo away playfully, then planted his hands on his sides. He looked at the tree in the dojo, blowing out some air. "Phew. When do you think we'll go back up?"

Leo gazed at the tree. "Hm. I'm not sure. I'm hoping soon; it's weird not going to the surface every night." Leo's phone started to buzz, alarming him for a moment. He pulled it out, looking at the caller I.D. "Hey, it's April."

"Well, answer, dork."

"Ahahaha," Leo shoved Raph as he raised the phone up. "I am. Morning, April, what's up?"

"Hey, Leo. Is everyone up?"

"Yep. Raph's here with me, and I heard Donnie and Mikey arguing just a few minutes ago. Why?"

"Well, Karai had an idea. She suggested that we all get together since we've been stuck inside our homes for more than a week now. I was wondering if you guys were up for it?"

Leo paused. "Hold on." He pressed his hand over the speaker, turning to Raph. "Karai suggested we all meet up."

Raph's eyes widened a bit. "Here?"

"I don't know! Just, hang out."

"Ask April!"

"Okay! Jeez." Leo slid his hand off the speaker. "Did she suggest where? Did you two have any idea where to meet up or anything?"

"Well, we only came up with Murikami's. We thought of my place or yours, but we thought that it would be better to go somewhere other than our homes, since we've been in them for a while."

"Let me round up the guys." Leo ran out to the pit, with Raph following him. "Donnie, Mikey, come here!"

Mikey's head popped out from the kitchen with some flecks of ice cream on his face. He joined his two brothers, licking ice cream off his face. Donnie sighed, walking out of his lab and joining the other three.

"What's up?" Mikey asked.

"April's on the phone. She said Karai suggested that we all meet up later," Leo answered. "They came up with Murikami's."

Mikey practically jumped in place. "Ooh! We haven't been there for a long time! Let's do it!"

"Mikey- -" Raph began, placing a hand on the bouncy terrapin.

"Oh please oh please oh please oh _please_!" Mikey begged. "I want me some pizza gyoza!"

"We're not even sure if Master Splinter will let us, Mikey," Donnie said, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's been pretty insistent on us staying down here until we're better."

"We are getting better, though!" Mikey whined.

Raph pulled in his little brother. "We'll see, little brother. It's a no-go unless Splinter says it's okay. Ya know that."

Leo pressed on the speaker button. "You catch any of that, April?"

"Yeah, I did. You guys should see if Splinter will let you. At the least, ask if we could come down there or something." April rubbed a hand down her face. "If it comes to that, I'll see if Karai's okay with it. I don't know how she feels about going down there."

Leo nodded, rubbing his forehead. "All right, we'll ask Master Splinter."

"Ask me what?"

The four terrapins turned sharply to face their father, who was at the top of the staircase that led to the dojo.

"HIIIIgottagoAprilcallyoubackbYE" Leo breathed out quickly, ending the call and sliding his T-Phone back in his belt. The four immediately flashed innocent smiles at Master Splinter, their hands behind their shells. "Uh, hey, Sensei, didn't see you there!"

Splinter raised a brow, coming down the stairs. "Is there something you'd like to ask, my sons?"

None of the four replied at first, as they were nervous. Raph cleared his throat and pushed Leo forwards, looking away as Leo stumbled. Leo looked back, glaring at Raph as Splinter approached him. Leo turned around to look at Master Splinter, a nervous smile already on his face.

"Leonardo?"

"Sensei, April and Karai were wondering... would it be okay if we went to Murikami's with them and Casey tonight?"

Leo could see the surprise in Splinter's eyes, making him feel more high strung. "I am not sure if that is wise, my sons."

"But, Sensei, we're feeling better," Mikey replied, taking a step forward. "We've been down here for like, two weeks so that we could get better, and we have."

"It's not a patrol, it's just a meet-up," Raph added, rubbing his arm.

"Please, Sensei," Donnie chimed in. "We'll be careful, we'll avoid trouble as best we can."

Splinter pondered, stroking his long, thin goatee. His eyes flickered to each of his sons' faces, seeing their genuine and pleading looks. He looked to his eldest son, who had a firm yet hopeful look on his face. Splinter dropped his hand to his side as he closed his eyes, sighing softly. "I want you four back here before 10."

The four faces brightened up immediately. They ran to hug their father, big smiles on their faces. "Thanks, Sensei!" They chirped in unison.

Splinter couldn't help but to smile and hug his sons back.

* * *

Casey had just finished eating when April called him. He arched his back as he answered. "Heeellllooo?"

"Hey, Casey," April said. "What are you up to?"

"Not much, just finished eating. 'Sup?"

"Well, Karai suggested that all of us get together. Are you up for it?"

Casey ran a hand through his hair. "Mm, yeah, I'm not doin' anything today. What time?"

"Night time. I'll call you when we head up there. Actually, why don't you come to my place before we go?"

Casey laughed his smug laugh. "Whatever ya say, Red."

April scoffed, laughing afterwards. "O-kay, Casey, see you later."

"See ya."

Casey swiftly grabbed his things and headed out the door, going to the ice rink to pass the time with hockey. His body sometimes pulsed with aches from the rapid movement Casey made on the ice, but he paid no mind to it. Bending down and twisting his body around sometimes made his back stiff, but again, he didn't pay attention to it. He'd rather be playing hockey and feeling uncomfortable than sitting at home and feeling uncomfortable.

After some hours passed, Casey dropped off his skates and hockey gear at his place, then started making his way to April's place. Once he approached the building, he called her and let her know he was about to be in front of the door. Before he could even finish getting up the stairs, April opened the door and greeted him.

Casey's eyebrows went up a bit, then he smirked. "Just couldn't wait to see me, huh?"

April rolled her eyes, smiling. "Smug as ever, I see. Wanna come in? Karai and I were- -"

"How about we go to the swings?" Casey asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

April's smile faded a bit. "I'm not sure if Karai would be okay with it."

"Let's go ask her," Casey replied, taking a step forward.

April extended her arm and placed her hand firmly on Casey's chest. "Casey, she's been through a lot. She's still not all that comfortable outside, and she's worried about tonight. I don't think this- -"

"Let's do it."

April and Casey turned around, surprised at Karai's sudden entrance.

"Are you sure? We don't have to go out until tonight," April said, her voice in a gentle tone.

Karai's chest tightened a bit at April's gentle tone; she'd never been given that kind of tone before, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was both comforting yet a bit patronizing to her. She felt a bit regretful for thinking that April would be that way towards her given all that April has done for her thus far. She drew in a sharp breath and nodded.

"I'm sure. I have to stop acting like a baby and suck it up someday, anyways."

"Karai- -"

Karai strode past them, going down the steps. Immediately she felt pressure pressing down on her, but she tried to avoid it. She turned her head, looking at the two. "Well, aren't you going to lead? I'm not sure I remember where it is."

April and Casey exchanged a look, then came down the steps and joined Karai. The three started walking, at first in a silence. Then Casey, not a fan of awkward silence, brought up a conversation topic. For a while, it was just April and Casey chatting while Karai just listened.

"...like he's got some career in dancing or somethin'," Casey was saying, talking about Bebop. "Who does he think he is? Michael Jackson?"

April laughed, cupping a hand over her mouth. "Geez, you really don't like him."

"He's not as bad as Tiger Claw, though. Get a load of that guy. Can't think of anythin' that could get him to stop in a fight."

"Put a glass of milk in front of him and he's nothin' but a giant cat," Karai replied.

Casey and April looked at her for a moment before they burst into laughter.

"That would be hilarious!" Casey laughed. "Man, if only."

"No, seriously. You should see how much milk he drinks."

"Just have a carton of milk in hand as he lunges for you and drop it to the ground and watch as he tries to lick it all up," April joked, trying to stop laughing.

"I had some candy the other day, and they had these lame jokes on 'em," Casey said, already snorting. "They're not even that funny."

"Like what?" April asked.

"Like... oh, what do you call a cow with a twitch?"

April pursed her lips a bit. "Uhm... I don't know, what?"

"Beefy jerky."

Karai choked a bit and paused, waving her hand as Casey and April were about to ask if she was okay. Karai looked up at them and tried to hide her smile. Casey smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You thought it was funny."

"N-no I didn't," Karai replied immediately."

"O-kay, but there's more where that came from. What's a tree's favorite drink? _Root_ beer. What did one penny say to the other? Let's get together and make some _cents_. Do you know what Mary had for dinner? Everyone knows Mary had a little lamb."

"CASEY THAT'S HORRIBLE!" April choked through laughter.

"What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday? Aye matey."

Karai didn't get it at first, but after saying it slowly, she bit the inside of her cheeks, trying not to laugh. "Will you quit it, my- -"

"C'mon, that one was great," Casey replied, nudging Karai with his elbow a bit. "These two are my favorites; what do you call a broken window? A pain in the glass."

"Casey!" April shrieked, punching his arm.

"It's not my joke!" Casey said, rubbing his arm. "Last one. What kind of tea is sometimes hard to swallow?"

"Green tea? It's not the best," April replied.

Casey shook his head. "Nope. Ya gotta think outside the box."

Karai suddenly shut her eyes and sighed. "Oh god."

Casey smiled a bit. "Do you know it?"

"Reality," Karai replied, not bothering to hold in her laugh this time. The other two joined her, tears threatening to escape their eyes. After some minutes of their laughter ceasing, Karai let out a long exhale. "It's damn true though."

April nodded, laughing one last time. "That was deep, Casey."

"Wish I thought of it," Casey agreed. The three walked into the little area with the swings in it. April hopped on one swing immediately, backing up with the swing under her to get a little speed. Casey looked at Karai, who was just watching. Casey took a step back, looking at Karai as he motioned for her to use the other swing.

Karai shook her head a bit. "You can. I'm good."

"C'mon, it ain't gonna bite ya," Casey joked.

Karai's mouth went thin-lined. "I know that," Karai replied, narrowing her eyes at him as she sat down in the swing. "I'm not stupid."

Karai did what April had done and tightened her grip on the chains as she swung fast. She started kicking her legs and let her grip loosen, feeling relaxed. The three chatted along, but Karai was a bit lost in thought. She hadn't really ever been around people who didn't work to satisfy a man's petty vendetta. She realized she was enjoying it; she was enjoying it more than she thought she was. No tension, no worries, just talking and doing things together. It was new but it was a nice change. Her only and main concern was that Shredder would send his henchmen to watch her from afar. Without realizing it, she was right.

From a far building, Tiger Claw had been keeping an eye on her. Shredder entrusted only him to look after the kunoichi. Tiger Claw was to report anything to Shredder that seemed not in their favor. So far, Tiger Claw hadn't called in.

"Tiger Claw, what is the situation with Karai?" Shredder asked as Tiger Claw answered.

"Nothing to report, Master Shredder."

"Has she not come out of that O'Neil's home?"

"She has."

"What is she doing?"

"She is enjoying herself with April O'Neil and the hockey obsessed teenager."

"Do not let her get used to those heathens nor the turtles; if they dare try to keep her away from me, I will have their lives."


	18. The Past and Present Clash

Spending time with April and Casey was nice for Karai; she felt as if she was beginning to live a normal life now. She was still a bit tense being outside for so long, but she found her nerves to cease piquing as the day went by. By the time most shops closed in the city, the three headed to an alley where the turtles would emerge from the sewers sometimes. Karai felt herself get nervous again like earlier; the time to hang out with the turtles, Casey and April had come. The day had went by so quickly, and she wondered why.

"Time flies by fast when you're having fun," April had told her as Karai asked her this.

As the turtles emerged from the manhole, hugs and friendly punches were exchanged. Karai stood by awkwardly, not exactly sure what to do. After he had finished greeting April and Casey, Leo's eyes fell on Karai. Karai's eyes locked with his, and he took a step towards her. It was if he was afraid of anything he did or said would somehow harm her.

Karai gave him a small smirk, walking to him. "Don't look so tense, Leonardo," Karai said, placing a hand on her hip. "It's just me."

Leo chuckled bashfully. "Sorry, it's just that you look different."

"Duh, dude, she's not SnaKarai anymore," Mikey chimed in. Leo shot Mikey a look, making Mikey smile nervously. "Sorry, sorry."

Karai laughed a bit. "SnaKarai, huh?"

Mikey smiled proudly. "Yup! I'm a pro at naming things."

"Don't name anything yourself," Donnie said to Karai. "He gets upset."

"Whines like a baby," Raph added, smirking as Mikey growled at him.

"Do not!" Mikey yelled, trying to hit Raph.

Karai chuckled a bit, remembering the last time she had been with the turtles. Watching them bicker and taunt each other was something she didn't realize she would miss.

"Well, we should get to Murikami's before it closes, yeah?" April suggested. "Well, before he leaves, I mean."

Mikey jumped up. "Yeah, dudes, let's go! Get me some pizza gyoza!" Mikey sang, leading the way.

As the seven teens made their way to Murikami's, everyone had chatted about something. Karai had added on some things here and there, but she wasn't talking much. Her and Leo were the last two to follow everyone else. They mainly looked at each other, smiled, looked away, repeat. Karai didn't want to have so much tension between the two; the last thing she wanted was tension. She cleared her throat, getting Leo's attention.

"For a mutant, you look good," Karai said, keeping her eyes forward.

Leo was confused at first, but then remembered the last time they saw each other, he was battered and bruised. He shrugged a bit, smiling. "I try my best. Don't like to be down for too long."

Karai smiled. "So, you and your brothers haven't changed."

"What do you mean?"

"You're all still dorky as I remember."

"Wh-dorky?" Leo asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I'm not a dork."

Karai laughed. "Yeah, you are. It's not a bad thing, though."

Leo smiled, drawing in a breath. "You really do look different."

"It's like Mikey said; I'm not SnaKarai anymore."

"Not like that. I mean, you look more... relaxed; happy, too."

Karai was quiet for a moment. She looked at Leo and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close to her. "Well, it's all because of you guys."

Leo playfully shoved her away, laughing. "Not really; we just helped you along the way."

"Yeah, well..." Karai rubbed the back of her neck, looking around.

Leo smiled, nudging her with his elbow. "You're welcome."

* * *

As they approached Murikami's, Karai started to feel a little anxious. Noticing, April asked what was the matter.

"Well, I don't have the best track record with Murikami..." Karai trailed off. "I should have thought this through more."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," April assured her, walking in along with her. "Hi, Murikami!"

Murikami turned, smiling. "Ah, April! How nice to hear you again." He took a whiff of the air. "Ah, turtles!"

"Hi, Murikami," the four said in unison. "Pizza gyoza, please!"

Murikami laughed, turning back around. "Anything for you, young turtles."

Casey took a seat, taking the chance to introduce himself. "Yo, I'm Casey."

"Oh, nice to meet a friend of April's and the turtles. What would you like?"

Casey eyed the turtles, a bit surprised as he met all their intense focus on him. He felt like he just had to. "Uh, what they're havin'."

April and Karai sat down. April looked at Karai, smiling at her patiently. "You should introduce yourself," April whispered.

"I-I shouldn't," Karai whispered back. "Just pretend I'm not here."

"April, who are you speaking with?" Murikami asked. "A shy friend?"

April chuckled. "Sort of." April nudged Karai. "Go on."

Karai cleared her throat, toying with her fingers as she looked at Murikami. "I-I'm Karai- - Miwa- - I-"

Murikami recognized her voice, a bit puzzled at first. Seeing that 'Harmony' was with the turtles and April, though, his doubts about her faded away, along with how nervous she sounded to talk to him. He gave her a kind smile. "A pleasure. What will you have, young lady?"

"What they're having," Karai replied quickly. "Thank you."

Murikami nodded, turning to make a big batch of pizza gyoza. Karai let out a long exhale, smiling sheepishly as April gave her a thumbs up. The turtles and Casey weren't really sure as to why she was so nervous to talk to Murikami. They assumed it was because she was still a bit nervous about being among friends, so they quickly stopped wondering.

Karai abruptly stood up, looking at her companions. "Excuse me." She walked to the rest room, quickly sealing the door behind herself. Now alone, Karai felt all the anxiety and stress rise out of her and come out as shallow, quick breathing. She placed her hands at both ends of the sink, letting herself ride it out. She gripped on the sides as the panic slowly ceased, and she looked in the mirror. She didn't know that talking to Murikami would make her act this way. Then again, she wasn't in the Foot anymore and wasn't out on some mission under the demand of the Shredder. She felt guilty for the things she had put Murikami and others through under the command of Shredder. She couldn't understand that even though Murikami recognized her as 'Harmony' from the previous time she went in his shop, he simply let go of the past and was nice to her.

After some appropriate minutes, Karai washed her hands and went out of the rest room to join the others. Casey had taken her spot, and the only available seat was next to Raphael. She sat herself down, her eyes forward.

Raph glanced at her once, then started watching Murikami cook again. "It's gonna take time," he said to her quietly.

Karai looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"To get used to all of this; it's gonna take a while. Ya can't expect it to just fall together in two weeks."

Karai set her eyes forward again. "I know that."

"You did somethin' to Murikami that you're regrettin' now."

Karai remained silent.

"You're gonna have regrets, but ya gotta know, it ain't your fault. Shredder lied to ya for your whole life. He made ya think things that weren't true." Raph set his hands on the counter and folded his hands on top of one another. "Things are different now. Seein' how stubborn ya are, you'll do okay."

Karai took a minute before she let herself look at the red banded turtle. "How about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you okay with me?"

Raph smiled a bit. "Family do bad things to each other sometimes. Sometimes it tears 'em apart." He turned his head to look at Karai better. "That ain't the case here."

Karai glared at him a bit. "You're good at throwin' people off for a turtle."

Raph rubbed one of his hands on his arm as if he was rubbing off some dust on his knuckles. "Get used to it, sister."

Karai gave Raph a smug kind of smile as she turned back around to watch Murikami cook again. But when she looked back, he had a platter with seven plates of pizza gyoza on them, all steamy and fresh, coming towards her. He passed Karai her platter, smiling at her again as he gave each of the rest of the teens their own platter. As soon as he finished passing them down, they all looked down at their platters.

"Enjoy, my friends!" Murikami said.

"Thank you, Murikami," the turtles and April replied, starting to eat.

"Thanks, dude," Casey said, tasting one. One bite and he was already scarfing down the rest. "Whoa, thanks, dude!"

"Itadakimasu," Karai said quietly, taking a bite and remembering how good the little pouches of dough were.

Murikami made his way in front of Karai. "Leave the past where it belongs. This is your new beginning," Murikami said to her, once again smiling genuinely to her. "Please enjoy."

* * *

As the time passed, everyone was having a good time, even Karai. She felt comfortable and as if this, around this peculiar bunch, was where she belonged. She had talked to everyone and felt herself go at ease. After some time, Leo had checked his T-Phone and jumped out of his seat.

"Oh, shell! Guys, it's almost 10! We gotta go!"

The other three terrapins hopped out of their seats, starting to exit the restaurant. "Bye, Murikami!" The four said as they rushed out.

"Guys, wait up!" April said, following them. Casey and Karai glanced at each other before they followed behind the others. "Guys! What's at 10?" April asked.

"Master Splinter wanted us home at 10, dudes," Mikey replied hurriedly. "If we show up late, it'll take forever for him to let us back up here!"

"You gotta get there so early?" Casey asked.

Donnie show Casey a blank look. "Since when is 10 at night early, puck mouth."

Karai laughed a bit at Donnie's snide remark, making Donnie smile a bit before facing forwards. With that, all the teens followed the rushing turtles to find a dark place to where they could go back down in the sewers. As they started going down one by one, Karai stopped Leo.

"Leo," Karai said, a bit unsure to ask what she wanted to.

"What's up?"

"Do you think sometime soon, I could go down to the lair? I want to see my father again. I'm just not sure if he wants to."

Leo smiled at her. "Are you kidding me? He wants to see you." As Leo crouched down and stepped on the first leg of the ladder, he looked up at Karai. "Whenever you're ready."

Leo shut the manhole over himself. Karai, April and Casey walked to April's place, waving bye to Casey as he continued his walk alone back to his home. April opened the door to go inside and noticed that Karai wasn't following. She looked back, a bit worried. "Karai, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Karai replied. "I'm just going to stand here for a minute."

April nodded, still feeling a little worried. "I'll see you inside."

Now alone, Karai took a look around her. She saw the Shredder's building from a distance, gazing at it for a moment. As she looked up to the sky, she saw a figure on a building far away. Her body immediately tensed up, and before she knew it, her feet were moving away from April's place. She walked a decent distance away before the figure started to come her way. It jumped down from the building and was now walking towards her. Karai clenched her fists tightly and swallowed, still when Tiger Claw was in front of her. She held her breath as she looked up at him.

"Shredder wants you to join him and the Foot Clan once again," Tiger Claw stated. "His efforts will not cease until he has you at his side once again. He still sees you as his cub."

"You don't agree with him? Well, you might not be so dishonorable after all." Karai took a stride towards him, her body merely centimeters away from his. "His efforts are meaningless."

"He would want you to think of all he has done for you."

"He basically trained me to kill my own family. What would happen after that? I would be a trophy, and that's it." Karai hadn't thrown a punch in a long time; despite this, delivering a hard blow to Tiger Claw was no hassle. She glared at him as he wrapped an arm around his stomach. "I will never join him again."

"He is worried about you."

"I can take care of myself." As she turned to leave, she looked down at him one last time. "Don't try anything. Even though he's put me through hell, I'll put up a fight."

Tiger Claw started to walk away, but he made sure Karai heard what he had to say as he parted.

"Your hostility towards Master Shredder will cost lives."


	19. Edgy, Much

April was pacing around her room when Karai finally came up. April immediately stopped as she saw Karai, her eyes wide.

Karai looked April up and down. "What's up?"

"I didn't see you down at the steps!" April whispered-hissed, stepping up to Karai. "You worried me! I thought the Foot took you or something! I called Leo and- -"

"You what?" Karai interrupted, feeling panicky. "Why?"

"Because you weren't at the steps!" April repeated. "Where did you go?"

Just as Karai would have to think of an excuse on the spot, the turtles tapped on April's window. April opened the window, her face a mix of relaxed and frustrated being the greeting.

Mikey tilted his head to the side a bit. "What's wrong, April? You look... weird..."

"Everything's fine; Karai's here." April stepped aside to reveal Karai, who was turned away from them.

"Karai, are you okay?" Leo asked.

"I'm fine. You can go back home now," Karai replied, not turning to face them.

"Good; I can get some shut eye," Raph mumbled to himself. Leo punched him on the arm, giving Raph a look before he could say anything. "Jeez, sor-ry."

"Are you hurt?" Donnie asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Karai said lowly, finally turning. "I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself. Just go home."

April crossed her arms over her chest, shooting Karai a look.

Karai stared back at the red head. "What."

"We know you can take care of yourself, but Shredder is still after you. We were just concerned."

"I'm here now; can we drop it?" Karai asked, seeming annoyed. She rubbed her head. "I just want to sleep."

"Man, she's as stubborn as Raph," Donnie whispered to Mikey. Mikey chuckled, trying to muffle his laugh. Raph smacked his hand on top of Donnie's head, earning a hiss.

"Listen," Mikey said, stepping in front of his brothers. "If you were taken by Shredder and his goons, you'd want us to try to come get ya, right? We want ya to be safe and happy and stuff, so we're worried."

Karai's squared shoulders slowly slumped down in a less tense stance.

"Gets relaxed by Mikey like Raph, too," Donnie mumbled to himself. Leo overheard and turned to nod in agreement before turning his attention back to Karai.

"I'm sorry. This is weird. I haven't really been treated like this before; it's just- -"

"Overwhelming?" April finished for her.

"Yeah," Karai replied. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Tiger Claw's been watching me. I saw him on a building when I was outside, so I walked away from your place so that he wouldn't try to hurt you. He told me Shredder wants me to come back, and I told him I wasn't going to. But he said that people's lives would be at stake the longer I stay away from Shredder." Karai sat on April's bed, putting her head in her hands. "I can't get away from him. He's always going to find a way to ruin me."

April didn't know what to say to that. Instead of speaking, she sat next to Karai and lay a hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture.

"Well, we're just gonna have to amp up our patrols, dudes," Mikey said, breaking the tension. "We gotta get Master Splinter to let us come back up every night again."

"We're barely done healing from the last time we fought Shredder's goons, shell-for-brains," Raph replied.

"We have to try," Donnie replied. "We can't stay down in the lair for too long; we already did that for 15 years."

Leo glanced down at his T-Phone. "C'mon, guys. We should go." He looked up at April and Karai. "We won't let Shredder get to you anymore."

* * *

Shredder rose as Tiger Claw bowed down before him. "What did she say?"

Tiger Claw tilted his head up to look at Shredder. "She refuses to return. She says your efforts are meaningless."

Shredder growled under his breath. "Perhaps it is time to visit Stockman."

Tiger Claw took that as his cue to leave. He left the quarters as Shredder went to Stockman's lab. Shredder's entrance was quiet, as he wanted to take the mutant fly by surprise. Shredder saw him hovering over some lab equipment and had many scattered papers around him.

"...onccce this plan comes into acttion, I will be rid of thiss wretched placce and away from the threatening cheese grater that callss himself a ruler!" Stockmanfly had buzzed lowly to himself. He had been secretly making retromutagen to turn himself back to his normal self and planned to escape. Since Shredder was so caught up with trying to get Karai back, he had seen this as the perfect opportunity. It was nearly complete.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" Shredder bellowed, startling Stockmanfly. The papers on his desk fell to the ground, and the vial of trial retromutagen toppled over and spilled onto the ground.

"M-Masster Shhredder!" Stockmanfly yelled in shock, lowering his body to hide the sudden mess. "H-how m-may I h-help you?"

"You dare try to elude me? You incompetent fool! You are nothing without me."

"I-I can e-explain- -"

Already, Shredder's blades had popped out of their hidden compartments. Shredder took one stride towards the huge, cowering fly. "I wonder, Stockman, how many of these lessons you must endure. I surely have no trouble making sure you know you are _beneath_ me."

"P-please! D-don't!"

"You are lucky you serve a purpose to me. We will discuss what task I have for you afterwards."

* * *

"My sons, is everything all right?" Master Splinter asked as soon as he saw the turtles step in the lair.

"Everything's okay, Sensei," Donnie replied. "False alarm."

Splinter's racing heart started to beat less after hearing Donnie's response. "Shredder will make his move soon. We cannot take this lightly."

Leo took this as an opening. He stepped towards Splinter, all ready feeling the upcoming tension. "You're right, Sensei. That's why we think that we should go back on patrols as soon as possible."

Splinter's ears flicked up and his eyes went hard immediately. Leo avoided his father's hard stare and stepped back to join his brothers, who had already taken the time to sit on their knees. Leo settled down, awaiting for some sort of response from Splinter, as were the others.

"How are you four sure you are ready enough to face a battle with Shredder and the Foot Clan again? How do you know you are healed enough to endure another battle? How do you know you will be able to stay on your feet with Shredder's new tactics he will surely enact?"

The four were worried sick at the harsh tone Splinter was using towards them; he sounded so worried yet so angry.

"...we know you're worried about us, Sensei," Leo said, looking up at Splinter. "We know it's not easy for you to watch us walk out and worry about us coming back hurt or not walking back in at all. You used to only worry about us four, but now you have Karai to worry about along with April and Casey. It's why we asked for as soon as possible, not immediately."

"We want to go back in action with you knowing that we're ready. It's when you think we're able to handle it, father," Raph added on.

"We're just about completely healed, Master Splinter. We know it's only barely been two weeks, but you've seen our progress," Donnie said.

"We wanna keep people safe," Mikey said. "You trained us to defend ourselves and help people."

Splinter sighed. He knew everything his sons were saying was true. "I love and care about your four deeply. But going to the surface before you are completely healed seems unwise. When I see that you all are well and can handle the next few difficult training sessions with little to no harm to your final wounds, you may go back on daily patrols. We will start tomorrow morning."

The four nodded, getting back up on their feet. Before they turned to go to bed, they engulfed Splinter in their arms. "We love you, Sensei."

"I love you, my sons. Now get some rest."

* * *

Karai slipped on a pair of sweat pants as April came back from the bathroom. She felt kind of bad for worrying April and the turtles so much, especially April. April had climbed into her side of the bed, pulling the covers over herself.

She yawned "Good night" to Karai as she shut her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

April's eyes weakly opened. She turned on her side to look at Karai, confused at the sudden apology. "What?"

"I should have called you or something before I took off like that. It was stupid. But I didn't want Tiger Claw to have a chance to hurt you."

"Shhhh," April replied. "Just remember to do it next time. I'm," April yawned again, turning back around to face the wall "just glad you're okay."

"Do you think what happened to Stockman was my fault?" Karai asked.

"Absolutely not. Shredder's basically a giant metal baby who throws a tantrum until he's satisfied."

Karai turned to face April, an eyebrow arched up. She smiled. "A giant metal baby?"

"Sorry, I don't talk very well when I'm drowsy," April laughed. "But no, it's not your fault. Not even close."

Karai started to lay on her side of the bed as she asked the next question. "Do you think Splinter and I will ever get close?"

"He loves you; he wants to get to know you if you're up for it. You two will probably talk about everything imaginable, and you'll learn a lot about Tang Shen like you've wanted to."

Karai smiled as she pulled the covers over herself. "It's going to be weird to have an actual family. I remember Splinter told me that I am who I choose to be, not what others make me."

"Splinter has a way with words," April smiled. "You'll get along great, don't worry. Now, like you said earlier, I want to sleep."

Karai rolled her eyes, smiling as she turned on her side. "Okay, princess."

* * *

A cloak with a very big hood covering his face, Stockmanfly had began to work on the plan Shredder had tasked him. Shredder's plan was to make Stockman make a concoction that could be used by Tiger Claw to transfer to Karai the next time they came in contact. Stockmanfly had interpreted it as Shredder basically wanting him to make a perfume like substance that wouldn't take effect on Tiger Claw, but rather Karai. He would somehow have to find a way for it to be able to coat Tiger Claw without it making Tiger Claw succumb to its effects and have him approach Karai again. Karai would likely try to throw a punch at Tiger Claw, and with contact, the coating would seep into Karai's skin and work its way through her body and eventually to her mind.

Seeing that the mind worms had a weakness, this would be much more difficult to try to figure out and thus difficult to find a way to reverse it. Shredder hoped that, if all else went along accordingly, the turtles would find out too late while he ordered Karai to eliminate the Hamato Clan and join his side once again. If he has Karai at his side again, Shredder gave his word to Stockman that he would let him make a retromutagen for himself, but he would still have to work under him.

It wasn't everything he wanted, but being able to regain his human form again was something Stockman desperately wanted. He worked through the night, gathering as much information from the brain worm attempt and other research as he could.

It proved difficult to focus with the intense pain on the side of his face where his left eye had previously been.


	20. It Begins

For the past few days, everyone had pretty much been non-stop busy. The turtles trained for hours with Master Splinter, not holding anything back, trying their best to get back out on patrols as soon as possible. Splinter decided to show them some new moves along with the training just so that when he did send them back out, he would be a bit at ease. Not enough ease to cease his constant worry, but just a bit of ease was nice. The turtles wounds had finally healed up nicely; only tiny scars the only sign of that night. Raphael's nick in his lower plastron had stopped bothering him; it was now just a nick only noticeable up close.

April, Karai and Casey weren't as busy as the rest, but their days had been eventful. They had decided to go to the ice rink and regain their strength day by day. Casey, of course, played hockey for hours, but would join Karai and April on their basic training exercises. Karai had thought about offering the training that she had learned throughout the years, but she did not want to spread the training of Shredder to others, so she decided against it. They kept it to basic katas, dodges, and self defense tactics. April and Karai would sometimes join Casey when he played hockey. This highly pleased Casey, as he would quickly tire of simply making endless goals without any challengers. The two would do their best to block Casey's aim of their goal, sometimes succeeding, sometimes hearing the non-stop gloating of the puck mouth. They had no problem returning the favor when they blocked his attempts.

Karai would sometimes spot Tiger Claw watching her overhead. When she did, she would try to avoid his intense look, but she could feel him watching her go about her day. She was thankful that he at least steered away from April and Casey, but she feared that he would try to approach them soon. Trying to live out a normal life wasn't going to be easy, she knew, but being watched was something else.

One day, while walking back to April's place when it was about to get dark, Karai unknowingly thought out loud.

"Maybe we should stop by and see how the turtles are doing? I could finally see my father, too."

April stopped in her tracks. "That sounds like a good idea, Karai!"

Karai's trance now interrupted, she turned to look at April. "What?"

"I'll call Raph and see if they're busy or not," Casey said, taking his phone out.

"What are we doing?" Karai asked.

"You said we should see how the turtles are doing and that you could finally see Master Splinter," April replied. "Do you not remember saying that?"

"I thought that," Karai said, feeling pressure on her chest. "Did you read my mind or something?"

"What? No," April laughed a bit. "I guess you were thinking out loud."

Karai flushed. "Oh." She tucked some strands of her hair behind her ear as Casey was speaking on the phone. As soon as she saw Casey put the phone down, she asked, "What'd he say?"

"He said they just finished their last trainin' sesh, so he's gonna ask Splinter right now," Casey replied, twirling his hockey stick. Hearing Raph calling his name on the other side of the line, Casey pressed his phone to his ear. "Yeah, Raph ... alright, cool ... see ya in a bit." Casey looked at Karai and April, nodding his head and starting to walk. "We can stop by for a few."

* * *

"Stockman, what is your progress?"

"S-s-sorry, M-Master Shredder, I can't seem to- -"

"I will soon tire of your excuses, Stockman."

Stockmanfly had been tirelessly working on the seemingly-impossible request Shredder had dropped on him. It wasn't proving easy at all; no breakthroughs, no ways to make a coat of the hypothetical batch to not affect the user, nothing. This, of course, displeased Shredder, but even he knew what he had asked for would prove difficult to produce. Nevertheless he was still angry. Luckily for Stockman, it had not cost him another body part. But as he worked, he knew that it was inevitable. He was trying his best to prolong it.

"At the very least, do you have any idea as to how you will apply it to Tiger Claw without it affecting him?" Shredder asked impatiently.

"It's hard to work as q-quick as you'd l-like me to when I'm in tremendous pain," Stockmanfly spat back. "No. I do not. It's seemingly impossible."

Shredder growled under his breath. "Make it so that is not the case anymore."

"Y-yes, Master."

Tiger Claw and Shredder's underlings knew that Shredder was growing more angry by the day, but when they had discovered what he had been doing to Stockmanfly, their nerves piqued. They hadn't expected this sort of punishment for not meeting his expectations. Shredder had brought harsh enough punishments as he had before; knowing he would and could, with no hesitation, tear them apart piece by piece, though, was a new level of punishment.

The day they had seen Stockmanfly with his large face lowered down with a cloak over him, they wondered why he decided to go with the ominous look.

Fishface was the first to speak. "Stockman, that new look of yours does not suit you; it would suit me, however."

"I don't have t-time for your jokes," Stockmanfly replied lowly.

"Gonna fly off like always?" Bebop snorted, his hands on his hips. "If it weren't for your big smarts, you'd be useless to Shredder."

"He's told me that before, try again later," Stockmanfly buzzed.

Rahzar growled. "Enough of tryna act all dark and mysterious, Stockman." He stepped towards the hunched over fly, his bony-like paw on the hood of Stockman's cloak.

"Take your hands off of me," Stockman spat harshly. "You w-want me to take off the cloak? F-fine." He lowered his hood and took the cloak off, letting it drop to the floor as Tiger Claw, Fishface, Rahzar, Bebop and Rocksteady took a step back and looked at him with horror. With his large left eye not where it would usually be and seeing the tear marks of where his wings used to be, Stockman tried his best to stand up straight.

"That is straight up nasty!" Bebop shrieked. "What, the turtles do that to you?!"

"Nyet, comrade, that is the work of Shredder," Rocksteady replied. "Turtle scum would not bring themselves to do such a thing."

Tiger Claw walked towards the large insect. "Why did the Shredder inflict this gruesome fate on you?"

"This is my 'punishment' for not meeting his expectations. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to g-get back to work to try to avoid another r-removal."

While the others saw it as a punishment they wouldn't want to be fated with, Tiger Claw saw it as pure torture. While Shredder's anger grew, Tiger Claw's uncertainty of him grew as well.

* * *

April and Karai trailed behind Casey, all of them quiet. Karai became more nervous with every step they took. She had met her true father before, so why was she worried? She was also worrying about the possibility of Tiger Claw watching her, so she constantly checked over her shoulder as they walked. As they descended down the manhole, Karai checked around before she closed it. Her mind boggled all the way to the lair; she didn't realize they had made it there until April shook her from her thoughts.

"Hey, Karai, we're here," April said as she touched her arm. "You okay?"

Karai looked at the large opening of the turtles lair, drawing in a breath. "I should be fine."

Mikey was the first of the turtles to appear. He had his friendly smile beaming as he approached the three. "Hey, guys! How's it going?"

April smiled, her arms wrapping around the orange-banded turtle as he wrapped his around her. "It's good to see you, Mikey."

"You too, April." He pulled away from her and gave Casey a friendly punched. "'Sup, dude?" He looked to Karai, unsure of what gesture to give to her. Being that she was his sister, though, he slowly approached her and gave her a brief hug. "Heya, sis! Alright, dudes, come in. If we look tired... we're probably just a little tired from our training."

The three teens exchanged looks as they stepped in the lair. Leo, Donnie and Raph were all sitting in the pit, looking a bit worn out. Their heads lifted up and their tired looks lit up immediately as they saw their friends. "Hey," the three said in unison.

Casey took the luxury of sitting by Raph, wrapping his hands behind his head and giving Raph a friendly nudge. "Dude, ya look beat."

Raph scoffed in response, shoving Casey. "Takes more than a bit of trainin' to wear me down."

April and Karai made their way to sit on the giant bean bags on the ground. Karai was a bit perplexed, constantly re-positioning herself as she sunk into the seat. Mikey chuckled at this, trying to muffle his laugh. Karai's eyes found his, and instead of getting defensive like she would have in the past, she laughed. "Don't laugh," Karai said as she once again rose up and sat back down. "This chair is weird. How do you sit in this?"

"I'll trade ya!" Mikey happily offered, already out of his seat. He helped Karai to her feet, and she took the seat he had on the couch. Mikey let out a long exhale as he sunk into the bean bag. "Thaaaat's more like it."

Donnie rolled his eyes at his brother. "So, April, Karai, how have you two been?"

"I can't speak for Karai, but I think we've been doing pretty good. We've been doing some basic training and played some hockey with Casey to pass the time," April replied. "Karai's getting less nervous about being outside."

Karai, flushing as Leo, Donnie, April and Mikey looked at her, cleared her throat. "Yeah, it's getting easier, I guess. I'm still worried about Tiger Claw, though."

"Has he tried to get close?" Leo asked.

"No, but I think he'll try to soon. Forget that; you guys look, well, exhausted." Karai leaned back, giving the turtles a smirk. Raph and Casey now had their attention on her. "Didn't know just a bit of training tired you guys out that quick."

"It's been pretty intense," Donnie replied, chuckling. "You should see our training sessions."

Now it was Karai's turn to chuckle. "Last time I remember, Mikey was rolling around teasing Leo while they were training."

Mikey's face lit up as Leo's face quickly flushed. Mikey burst out in laughter. "Oh, yeah! That was great, oh man!"

Raph rolled his eyes, smiling. "Geez, Fearless, got nothing to say?"

"I've much improved since then," Leo replied quickly, his mouth in a thin line.

"Oh, really?" Karai smiled.

"Don't believe me?" Leo stood up, hovering over Mikey. "Guess I'll just have to prove it to you."

Mikey immediately stopped laughing, his hands up. "Leo, c'mon! We just finished training!"

"Easy, Leo, he's gentle," Raph joked, earning a glare from Mikey.

"Sit down, Leo," Donnie said, pushing Leo down on the couch as he shook his head. "Don't want an extra training session, do you, Mr. High-and-Mighty?"

Leo folded his arms over his plastron, shooting Donnie a look. "Don't give me that look."

Donnie smiled. "What look?"

"That one! Your smug look, gah," Leo groaned, giving Donnie a shove.

Everyone was laughing at this point as Leo grumbled to himself. April leaned over to Karai, whispering "Get used to it; they're always like this," as she tried to stop laughing. Karai covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stop laughing.

Hearing the laughter from the pit, Splinter came out and asked, "What's so funny?"

Everyone looked at Splinter now. "Just Leo being Leo, Sensei," Raph replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo asked defensively as Raph chortled.

Karai suddenly stood up, not breaking her stare from her father. She walked towards him, leaving the other teens to watch her. She looked up at her father, unsure of what she wanted to do or say to him. He decided for her as he smiled down at her.

"Let us speak, my daughter," Splinter said, breaking their silence. She nodded once, following him to the dojo.

April smiled, breathing out a soft sigh. "Good luck, Karai." As soon as the two were out of sight, the six began talking again, still teasing Leo.

Splinter led Karai to the little shelves he had on the wall, handing her the picture of him, Tang Shen and Karai as a baby together. Karai studied the picture, sitting down along with Splinter. He had a little table set up, with two cups and a tea pot on it. He grabbed the tea pot, pouring her some tea. He noticed her intense focus on the picture, getting a little worried. "What troubles you, Miwa?"

She sighed, finally setting the picture down on her lap. "I just can't believe his vendetta tore us all apart."

"You are here now, Miwa. No matter what Saki has done, he cannot tear our family apart."

"What was my mother like?" She asked, taking a sip of the tea.

Splinter smiled. "She was kind, gentle, wise, and could somehow always find the benefit of the doubt. You look very much like her."

She smiled at this. "What were her parents like? Her home?"

"Your mother was raised by the Ancient One. He is a dear friend. When she wanted to live on her own, she chose a home that felt warm and welcoming to her. She would never leave your side; you were her world. She loved you and would do anything that was in your best interest."

"She must have had a good time growing up. I wish I could see her now."

Splinter sighed at this. "There is never a moment where I do not miss your mother. I know she would love to see how grown up you have become now."

She smiled up at him. "I'm glad to have you as my father."

Splinter was taken aback for a moment, but his warm smile quickly came. "I am glad to call you my daughter."

* * *

Some time passed and Splinter decided it was time for the turtles to go to bed. He decided that they were ready to go back on patrols, so he would tell them after their morning training. As the turtles, Karai, Casey and April said their goodbyes and were walked out, Karai wanted to ask something of her father.

"Will you train me? I know I've had training, but it was training by the Shredder. I want you to train me; I want to be a true and honorable kunoichi."

Splinter placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course, Miwa."

She smiled, bowing before him before she gave him a hug. Splinter hugged her back, glad to have his daughter back once again. Seeing the hug, Mikey sprinted towards them. "Awh, hugs!" He engulfed the sides of Master Splinter and Karai, smiling and nuzzling into them as he heard them both chuckle. He pulled away, waving bye to Karai as he walked away, ready to go to bed. Karai pulled away from Splinter, waving bye to him as he departed from them. Karai gave each of the turtles a different goodbye.

To Donnie, she pressed lightly on his head and pushed away- - which baffled him at first, but he soon got that it was a goodbye- - to which he stuck his tongue out at her. To Raph, they gave each other a fist bump and a friendly insult. To Leo- - well, they both just stood there at first. Learning from April and Casey that Leo adored outer space, she gave him a two fingered salute and called him 'Captain.' Leo tried his best not to seem so excited, but she could tell how much it made him happy. He called her 'Cadet' without meaning to, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

As soon as April and Karai dropped off Casey to his place and started to head to April's home, April nudged Karai a bit.

Karai saw that April was smiling at her. Karai chuckled a bit. "What?"

"You like your family," April teased, laughing as Karai shoved her away gently.

"Okay, okay, you caught me." Karai looked up at the night sky for a moment, then back to April. "I like my family."


	21. Regaining Honor

The next day, Splinter had told the four terrapins he thought it was time they get back out on the streets. The four lit up, excited to get back to daily patrols. With the new moves and tactics Splinter had taught them, they felt prepared for any possible challenges that would come their way. To pass the time, they spent most of their time doing rigorous training with Splinter before nightfall. As soon as it was safe to assume the sun had went down, the turtles made their way out of the sewers like there was no tomorrow. When they had made it to the rooftops, they had run and jumped from one building to another, yelling happily with no hesitation. They had finally taken a break from their happy whooping all over town, stopping on top of a building near April's block. The four gazed up at the night sky, smiles on their faces.

Leo drew in a deep breath, looking at the moon. "Man, it feels great to be back out here again. Just feel that night breeze."

Mikey spread his arms out, breathing out a content sigh. "I missed the smell of the outside air, dudes."

Donnie leaned against the edging of the roof, looking out into the city. "And the view never gets old."

Raph scoffed at his brothers. "Man, don't get all sappy, bros."

Mikey nudged Raph, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he smiled at him. "C'mon, dude, don't pretend you aren't happy to be back out here again."

"I am happy, but I'm not talking like some dork or anything. Did miss the smells, though." The four took a moment to look out into their beloved home city, the moment ruined when they heard a sudden clatter from behind. Raph turned swiftly. "What was that?"

"Let's check it out," Leo said, taking the lead.

The four had lost track of where the noise came from for a while. Hearing the blares of an alarm and the breaking of glass, they immediately headed into action. They got there just as they saw some goons running out of the building with a bag over a cylinder casing. They followed the running men, finally stopping when they did. Just as they were about to jump in and grab the object away from them, they saw Tiger Claw emerge from a dark alley. They stayed in place, watching intensely as they listened.

"Have you gotten what I requested?" Tiger Claw asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

One of them handed the object to the leader of the group- - Hun. Hun pulled the drape off of the object, and a bright, purple light was revealed inside of the canister.

"Got what we came for?" Hun asked, looking impatient. "Better hurry it up; 5-0 is gonna show up any minute."

"Shredder awaits your presence. He will give it to you personally. Follow."

The turtles all looked at each other as they quietly followed Tiger Claw and the Purple Dragons, curious as to what they wanted with the container. They sneaked in Shredder's lair through the little window, listening while sticking to the shadows. Tiger Claw and the Purple Dragons knelt down as Shredder stood, a look of determination on his face.

"Hun, did you retrieve what I requested?" Shredder asked.

"Right here, Master Shredder," Hun replied, standing and handing the canister to Shredder.

Shredder's eyes narrowed, but it didn't seem to be in a negative way. "Excellent work, Hun. One step closer to getting Karai back to me."

"Got what we're looking for?" Hun asked.

Shredder handed him a large-in-width case, sending Hun off. Before they could exit the building, the turtles dropped down on them, throwing the case away from them. Tiger Claw and Shredder immediately readied to battle the teenage turtles as the turtles pulled out their weapons.

Leo held a katana out, a menacing look on his face. "You're not going to lay a hand on her."

"I know my daughter; she won't be around the likes of you for long. She will return to me."

"We're not going to let that happen. Get the canister away from Shredder!"

They sprinted in action, separating in different directions so that they couldn't be easily captured. As the battle went on, Leo was curious as to why Shredder hadn't called for backup to handle the fight for him. Leo managed to fight Tiger Claw off, making a beeline for Shredder. Raph, Donnie and Mikey saw this, their worry for the leader piquing, but they kept back the Purple Dragons and Tiger Claw so that there couldn't be much to let Shredder get away.

Leo was getting frustrated with the constant smashing of his katana blades and Shredder's blades; it was mocking him. Leo growled, "Karai doesn't want to be around you anymore, just accept it!"

"I am her father- -"

"You took her away from her family! You left her in shambles!" As Leo yelled this, he didn't realize he had actually managed to hurt Shredder. Leo froze and panted heavily as Shredder stumbled back a bit, lifting his leg to examine it. One of Leo's swords had cut Shredder's leg, and it seemed deep.

Shredder glared at the turtle. "So. You have improved. Nevertheless, I will get Karai back one way or another."

"Not as long as I'm still standing," Leo spat back, his hands gripped tightly around the handles of his katanas.

"As I said," Shredder replied, raising his fist. "One way or another."

Raph saw from the corner of his eye Shredder raising his fist. His eyes widening, Raph instantly took down one of the Purple Dragons, avoided Tiger Claw's advancement, and hurled towards Shredder. He managed to pin down Shredder, taking out his sais and using them to cuff Shredder's arms down on the ground. Raph took the canister, grabbing Leo as he and the others started to fall out.

"After them, Tiger Claw!" Shredder yelled. "Do not let them get away with it!"

"But Master Shredder, you- -"

"Go!" Shredder yelled again, cutting him off. "You will have the only other who is determined as I am to obtain that canister follow you."

Tiger Claw nodded, running after the turtles. He caught up with the Purple Dragons, appalled at how worn out they looked already. "Go. I will handle the turtles myself," he said to them. "You will be useless in battle anyways."

The Purple Dragons didn't argue; they immediately left. Hun wasn't too happy about being sent away, but he knew if he fought and reported back to Shredder that he had failed, it wouldn't be pretty. Tiger Claw used his jet pack and flew behind them, making sure they didn't get away. As soon as he got close enough, he landed in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. He threw his jet pack off the roof, his ears flicking up as he heard no sound of a crash.

"Don't try to stop us, Tiger Claw," Leo sneered. "You're not getting your hands on this."

"You're right." Something had suddenly snatched the canister away from Leo's hands, startling the turtles. A figure hovering next to Tiger Claw with a large cloak had the canister in their hands. Tiger Claw smiled ominously at the turtles. "I'm not. He is."

"Who's the cloak dude?" Mikey asked, squinting his eyes at the figure. The figure lowered its hood, not phased as he heard the turtles gasp. "Whoa, Stockmanfly? What happened to your eye?!"

"Let's just say Shredder is getting really impatient and really wants to get his hands on Karai," Stockman buzzed in response. "I'm making sure I do whatever I can to do my part. And this canister," Stockman said, shoving it into a bag he carried. "Is one step to the answer of one of my problems."

"Shredder doesn't deserve to have her back and you know it," Raph growled. "Even if you are a bad guy." His eyes darted to Tiger Claw, who returned his stare with an icy glare.

"I can't afford to care," Stockman spat. "If you couldn't tell, every moment he doesn't have her, he tears me apart piece by piece. I won't let you turtles be an additional reason if I end up in a body bag."

"What's he planning to do with that?" Donnie asked. "It doesn't look like much for him to be so angry over."

"That's none of your business! Now if you'll excuse me- -" Stockman spat balls of acid around the turtles, flying off as they scattered away. "I have work to do."

The turtles caught their breath as they watched the ground with acid slowly drip away. Leo grit his teeth, kicking a pebble off the roof as he watched Stockman fly away. Tiger Claw, for some reason, had remained there. Leo started stomping towards him but was immediately held back by Raph and Donnie. Mikey stepped out in front of him, trying to calm him.

"Leo, chill! Don't do anything you might regret; you're real angry right now," Mikey said in a calming tone. "Just take it down a notch, okay?"

Leo whipped his arms out of Raph and Donnie's grip, taking a moment to breathe. "Why are you sticking around, Tiger Claw?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, man, you're creeping me out," Raph added. "We get it; you guys got the canister. Now beat it before we pound ya into the ground."

"You have no idea what that canister is the key to," Tiger Claw replied. "Once Shredder and Stockman manage to get what's inside that canister in the state they desire, they will use it to get his 'cub' back. It will come in the form of a coating that will be only effective to the one who touches it. There will be nearly no possible way for you four to get her back once it has been done. She will succumb to a fate almost to one of a slave like she had when Shredder registered the brain worm into her. It seems the only way to prevent it is to have the cub avoid physical skin contact with any member of the Foot Clan."

The turtles stood baffled for a moment. Donnie gave him a look. "Why are you telling us this?"

Tiger Claw turned his back to them, ready to head back to Shredder's base. He turned his head to look at the blue banded turtle. "I will not allow myself to be a toy of games."

Leo's cold glare loosened a bit and his mouth went slightly agape as Tiger Claw dashed away. Leo gripped his hands tightly for a moment before he leaped onto another roof. The guys followed, not quite sure what Tiger Claw meant. Leo had led them to stop by April's place, lightly knocking on her bedroom window. They heard shuffling before the window opened. Expecting April, the turtles were a bit surprised when Karai opened the window.

Karai combed a hand through her hair as she spoke. "What drops you by?"

"Where's April?" Donnie asked.

"Ah, all the boys want her," Karai joked, moving aside a bit as the turtles piled in. "She's just in the bathroom."

April emerged, her hands behind her head as she tied her hair in a ponytail. "Oh, hey, guys! What's up? How was patrol?"

"It was eventful," Donnie replied. "Not really sure why we're here, though. Leo led us here."

Karai and April turned to look at the leader, who was strangely silent. "Leo?" April stepped up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "What's going on?"

Leo looked at April, then Karai. "Shredder's plan is to use something that'll take effect like the brain worm he used on you." Karai's eyes widened, and her chest immediately felt heavy. She reached her hand out behind her to find the bed, immediately sitting down on it as soon as she felt it. "The only way to avoid it is for you not to have your skin touch any of the Foot."

"That's gonna be difficult seeing it as they literally want their hands on me," Karai hissed, her fingers pulling on some of her hair. "Damn it. How do you know?"

"Tiger Claw told us."

Karai's head immediately lifted up. "Tiger Claw?"

"I think he's starting to see that Shredder's vendetta is a waste of time and energy. Or maybe he finally realized that being on Shredder's side shows no honor."

Karai scoffed. "Right, like he cares about honor. When he came back, he said honor was basically nothing to him."

"Maybe seeing what he's doing to Stockman snapped him out of it," Mikey said. "Dude's literally gettin' torn apart."

"What happened to Stockman?" April asked.

"Shredder gauged one of his eyes out," Raph replied, shuddering. "I'd snap outta it too, seeing that."

"Do you guys have a plan to make sure she doesn't have skin-to-skin contact with them?" April asked.

Mikey shrugged. "Wear a jacket and gloves?"

"That won't do anything but keep me warm," Karai replied.

"We're just going to have to be vigilant and keep an eye out," Leo replied. "I'm not sure there's much we can do unless we could make a special suit or something."

Donnie and April looked at each other, getting an idea. "We could try that," they said in unison.

* * *

Tiger Claw met Shredder and Stockman in Stockman's lab when he returned. He had dropped everything that had to do with honor, thinking that honor was nothing but wasteful. He wanted vengeance for what happened to him, but seeing what a vendetta was doing to Shredder made the moral of honor come back to him. There was no honor in dismantling someone piece by piece. There was no honor in turning a child into a mutant to use as a weapon and defense system. There was no way to make what happened the night of the invasion of the Triceratons any way acceptable.

Tiger Claw had seen what Shredder had attempted to do to Splinter when they had joined forces to take down the Triceratons. He had seen how Shredder lunged for the rat in an attempt to end Splinters life and thus ending the lives of everyone else just to satisfy his vendetta. He had seen just how toxic and thoughtless he had become just to 'win.' It was truly appalling. An encounter with the blue clad turtle had been rambling his thoughts since that night.

_'Why do you work for someone who doesn't even have his morals in line? All he cares about is victory!'_

"... Tiger Claw, did you not hear me?" Shredder questioned impatiently. "What is the matter with you?"

"My apologies, Master. I am a bit parched, is all. What were you saying?"

"I found a way for it to take no effect on you," Stockmanfly replied to catch the tiger up.

Shredder crossed his arms over his chest. "Excellent, Stockman. If all works as I wish, you will have your original form back soon." With that said, Shredder left the two behind.

Stockmanfly tossed his hood back over his head. "I don't even have a way to begin to make the concoction he wants me to make," Stockman buzzed to himself. He suddenly winced, bringing one of his grotesque hands to where his left eye used to be. "D-damn phantom pain."

Tiger Claw pitied the large fly. Even if he wasn't honorable, he knew he hadn't deserved such treatment. Tiger Claw took something out of one of his pockets, setting it down on Stockman's desk. Stockman picked it up, unsure of what he was supposed to do. "Why did you give me a small mirror?"

"I have heard that looking at the place where phantom pain occurs through a mirror helps your mind register that there is nothing there to feel pain, thus making the pain go away," Tiger Claw replied. With that said, Tiger Claw started to exit Stockman's lab.

"Why did you even have a mirror on you?" Stockman asked as he lifted the little mirror up to his face, looking into it and feeling his empty eye socket relieve of pain in mere moments. He was a bit surprised that it actually worked. As Tiger Claw reached the exit, Stockman said "...why did you give me this?"

Tiger Claw didn't turn to face Stockman as he said, "We all need something to ease our pain."


	22. A New Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: So you know how Stockman is being treated in this story, right? The treatment he was given like in 2003? That wasn't over if you thought it was. If any of you don't want to read what happens to him next, I'll do a recap of it in the next chapter. It's the last few paragraphs of the chapter. I'll put some asterisks (*) when I reach that part; that way you'll know where to stop. Other than that, this chapter is long, but it's worth it (at least I hope it is to you all)! Hope you enjoy~ ]

Weeks had passed since the turtles' last encounter with Tiger Claw. Tiger Claw had suddenly stopped watching Karai from afar and the Foot weren't really active, either. The turtles were suspicious as to the low activity of the Foot knowing what Shredder is planning, but as long as Karai was out of harm's way, they were content. Well, as much as they possibly could be. In the meantime during those weeks, Splinter had formed a strong bond with his daughter and had trained her like she wanted. During her training sessions, April and Karai would spar, both of their skills improving with every session. Splinter would hold sparring sessions where Karai and April would go against the turtles so they could practice deception. After their recent session, April had pulled Karai aside.

April pulled out her tessen, closing it and holding it out for Karai. "Here."

Karai was puzzled. She looked at the red head. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you the tessen."

Karai chuckled nervously- - well, more like confused. "Uh, why? It's your weapon."

"Before Splinter knew you were still alive, he gave me the tessen and told me that he held onto it to give to you when you grew up. Now that you're here, you should take what's rightfully yours."

Karai looked down at the tessen for a moment before she pushed April's hands away. "He gave it to you for a reason; it's not just because I wasn't around, if that's what you're thinking. Besides, you know how to use it well. Keep it. It's your weapon. Not to get all cheesy or anything, but it belongs to you."

April smiled, walking out into the common area with Karai. The turtles and Casey had helped themselves to the pizza Casey brought down, making sure to leave some slices for the two kunoichis. They had learned the hard way that not leaving them enough would result with pain. Karai noticed Leo sitting a bit far from everyone else as she helped herself. She looked to Raph and mouthed 'what's up with him?' Raph shrugged, shoving a slice into his mouth as he eyed Leo. Karai pursed her lips a bit as she took the seat next to Leo, sitting quietly for a moment. When she saw that he was rubbing his upper arm, she took the opening.

"Guess I should go easier on you next time," she said, smiling as Leo looked at her. "Is that why you're being pouty?"

Leo offered a small smile. "No, you'll have to have much more training to get a sweat out of me."

"Right. You weren't saying that the first time we met, though," Karai replied, smirking as Leo flushed a bit. "So. What's up your shell, turtle?"

Leo bit into a slice of his pizza, trying to avoid the question. Karai, though, wasn't having it. He sighed, rolling his eyes as Karai gave him a look. "It's just the whole Foot situation. It's too out of place, and Shredder doesn't just pull back."

"Huh."

Leo blankly looked at Karai, ready for her smug remark. "What."

"When it was me being all worried, I think I remember someone telling me something along the lines of 'as long as you're out of harm's way, it's okay'. But man, who said that? Was it Mikey? April?"

Leo shoved her playfully, taking another bite of his pizza. "Quit it. I get it. I'll stop being so 'pouty' or whatever."

"Man, you really are bad at lying," Karai replied, standing up.

"Excuse me?" Leo scoffed.

"You're excused," Karai replied as she walked off, chortling as she saw the blue clad turtle sitting with an unimpressed look on his face. She then sat in between Raph and Mikey, finally starting to eat her pizza. "You were right; he sucks at lying."

Raph snickered at this. "When am I ever wrong?"

"Like, all the time, dude," Mikey mumbled to himself. He hissed as Raph flicked him on the head. Karai rubbed the top of his head, earning a smile from the youngest of the turtles. "See, why can't ya be nice like our sis here?"

"I'm nice," Raph replied as he took another bite. "Aren't I, Don?"

Don looked from April to Raph, looking a bit lost. "What?"

"Aren't I nice?"

Donnie stared at him blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter. April couldn't help but to smile as Donnie laughed heartily. Raph seethed as Donnie laughed, mumbling as he continued to eat his pizza. Casey elbowed Raph, trailing his finger down his cheek mockingly and laughing as Raph growled at him. Mikey laughed solely because of how hard Donnie was laughing, and Leo winked to Raph before laughing as Raph groaned loudly.

"OKAY DON, I GET IT. NOW WILL YA SHUT IT?" Raph yelled, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry," Donnie breathed, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye. "You are nice, Raph."

Raph glared at Donnie. "Then why didja laugh?"

"Because there's so much pizza sauce on your face," Donnie replied, trying to contain his laughter as Raph swiped a finger over his chin and lifted it to see pizza sauce. Raph groaned again as he got up and marched to the kitchen.

"I swear Don, one day I'm gonna knock ya out cold," Raph spat at him as he made his way.

Donnie smiled, placing one of his hands to his plastron. "Awh, I love ya too, Raph."

Raph flustered for a minute before throwing his hands up in the air and walking away. "What are ya tryna do, embarrass me?"

"I meant it!" Donnie smiled, running after him. "C'mon, don't get all broody!"

Karai had her hand over her mouth as she started to calm down. She was glad to be surrounded by such a dork of a family. They were odd, but what family wasn't? During the passing weeks, Karai had ditched her suit that Shredder had given her. Donnie and April had been working on a new suit for her that would protect her from the coating Shredder had planned to use on her, would let her be able to move around as she pleased along with being fully equipped with the gear she brought along with her. The color was black with a slight tint of brown in the belt and in the shoes. Karai adored it.

The first time she had tried it on, she looked over herself as she spread out her arms and legs. She tried out a few moves and tested it to see if it would let her skid across the floor. She was impressed that it had with the fabric of the suit. Seeing the suit on her, Raph managed to get a hold of a bike helmet and made it to a style which would suit Karai and her suit in case of her ever using the stealth bikes in the future. When he gave her the helmet, she was a bit puzzled.

Mikey swooped in, knocking on the top of the helmet and then shrugging. "Saves lives."

"Sounds stupid, but he's right," Raph replied. "If ya ever wanna take the stealth bikes out for a joy ride, ya gotta wear it."

Karai desired for a new sword for her new suit. Leo and Master Splinter had taken it upon themselves to make do with any spare scraps of damaged but usable metal parts to create a new sword for the kunoichi along with other weapons that would come to use in the future. With some later modifications with Donnie's help, Leo had been the one to bestow upon her new weapons. Splinter had wrapped it in a cloth that had belonged to Karai when she was an infant. As Leo held it out to her, he told her this.

"Master Splinter said it was one of the cloths that Tang Shen gave you when you were a baby. He thought it would add on to the surprise."

Karai eyed the turtle. "It's not my birthday," Karai stated. "It's not any holiday either."

Leo rolled his eyes, smiling. "Just take a look."

Karai took the bundle from Leo's hands, setting it down onto a table and opening it. She drew in a sharp breath when she looked at the new and homemade weapons. She looked down at them all and picked them up one by one, listening intently as Leo explained what they were.

She first picked up the naginata first. "I know traditionally that the blade is shorter than the handle, but Master Splinter and I thought that the handle and the blade being the same length better suited your fighting style. The blade looks a bit thinner from how it usually would be, but I promise you, it can do a lot of damage in one swing."  
Karai caressed the handles, furrowing her brows a bit as the bottom of the handle looked to be able to reveal something. Leo saw this, smiling. "Here, just pull it out." Karai obeyed, clearly surprised as a tanto landed in her palm. "Better safe than sorry. Don't worry about it falling out or anything like that; I made sure that it wouldn't. We also made some shruikens for you to carry." He looked as she looked down at the three weapons. He then flushed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it's not much, but rest assured, it's enough. And there's always a spare katana laying around if you want one."

Karai set down the weapons and turned to face Leo. She suddenly pulled him in her embrace, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

Leo was startled, his hands just sticking out in the air. "Uhm- -"

"I don't do this lightly," Karai replied, cutting him off. "Thank you." Leo hadn't returned the gesture, and it was making Karai feel a bit awkward. "Leo, return the gesture before I regret hugging you."

"O-oh, right! Heh, sorry!" Leo wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her in tight and feeling himself relax.

"I'm glad I didn't find you boring that day," Karai said softly. "You changed my life." Before Leo could say anything, she pulled away, her hands gripping firmly on his shoulders. "Breathe a word of this and I will end you."

Leo chuckled. "Awh, I love you too."

Karai narrowed her eyes at him, smirking as she dug her fingers into his shoulders a bit, making him squirm. "Now if you'll excuse me, _Captain_ , I have to talk to my father."

"Oh, about the cadet thing? Mikey said it should start with a K, 'cause your name or whatever."

"So, cadet with a K," Karai rephrased. "Fine. Kadet it is. You and the guys should start patrol, I'll probably catch up with you later. Gotta test these new weapons out sooner or later."

"Okay, see ya," Leo replied, smiling widely as he watched her leave. Mikey sneaked up behind the leader, a huge grin on his face. Leo looked behind him, his smile fading as he looked down at his brother. "What are you smiling about?"

"That was so cute," Mikey whispered, his eyes a bit teary. "You care about her!" He sang.

Leo flustered, not knowing whether to smile or frown. "Mikey!"

* * *

Karai approached Splinter, who was meditating under the tree. She sat in front of him, waiting for him to say something.

"What is it, Miwa?" Splinter asked, opening his eyes.

"Well, Leo showed me the weapons that you and he made for me," she replied, feeling a bit warm. "I guess I just wanted to..." She wrapped her arms around him, smiling as she felt his arms around her.

Splinter smiled, resting his head on top of hers. "I take it that you enjoyed it?"

"I really did," she replied. "How did you learn how to make weapons?"

"When you live down here for so many years, you learn how to make do with what is offered to you," Splinter replied.

"The cloth you gave me- - was it really from when I was that young?"

"Yes. Your mother had many blankets and cloths for you; that was one of the few I managed to hold on to for all these years."

She pulled away from her father. "I know I didn't know her for as long as you did, but... I miss her."

Splinter softly smiled down at her. "It is not odd for you to feel this way. She loved you with all her heart." Karai smiled at him; it brought her comfort to hear that. "Now, you should join your brothers for their patrol; I assume you want to see how you do with your new weapons."

Karai nodded, standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow, father," she said as she jogged away. "Love you" slipped out of her mouth as if it was by instinct.

Splinter smiled at this, his eyes feeling wet all of a sudden. "I love you too, Miwa."

* * *

"Maaaan, there's no butts to kick lately," Mikey whined. "I mean, I'm all for chillin', but this is gettin' old real quick, dudes."

"For once, I agree with Mikey," Raph replied. "It's weird not seein' the Foot around."

"You guys _want_ crime to happen?" Donnie asked, perplexed.

"Well, when ya say it like that..." Mikey muttered, yawning.

"It won't stay like this forever, guys. Just enjoy the lack of crime while it lasts," Leo replied, looking out into the city. "The Foot and Shredder are definitely working on that coating serum Tiger Claw told us about."

"Yeah, anyone still wonderin' why he told us about it?" Raph asked, crossing his arms over his plastron. "What is he, our secret protector or something?"

"Bro, that'd be so cool! He could tell us what Shredder is up to before he does it and we could make a plan to stop him before he does it!" Mikey chirped. "We'd always be one step ahead!"

"Yeah, but given his loyalty to Shredder, I don't think it's all that likely," Donnie commented.

Mikey drew out a long exhale, pouting at Donnie. "Way to ruin the moment," Mikey mumbled.

"I'm just saying," Donnie spat back.

"Shh, quiet," Leo whispered. "I think I see someone at the old warehouse."

"What are we waitin' for? Let's go bash some heads," Raph replied, smiling as he took out his sais.

"You weren't really going to take off without me, were you?"

The four turtles turned around, their weapons at the ready. They immediately lowered them as they set their eyes on Karai, who had a hand on her hip.

"Like Raphael said, let's go bash some heads," Karai said, taking a running head start to leap onto the next roof.

Mikey sniffled, smiling widely. "Look at her; all not evil and on our side," he spoke softly. "Let's go, dudes!"

The four trailed behind the kunoichi, all the five feeling the adrenaline pump throughout their bodies. They halted as they approached the warehouse, checking around the perimeter before they dropped down. They piled in once they found an opening, staying on guard as they slowly looked around. They heard some rusting towards the back, all of them sticking to the shadows as they drew near. Karai narrowed her eyes, then widening them as she recognized the figure.

"It's a Footbot, and it's not alone," she whispered to the turtles. She pointed to a nearby corner, showing the turtles the other bots. The four nodded, drawing out their weapons.

"What are they doing here anyways?" Mikey asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, but we're not going to wait to let them find what they're looking for." Leo went into stealth mode, quickly taking out as many bots as he could in his field. He glared as the other Footbots took notice of him, drawing out their weapons. "Now!"

The turtles and Karai set out to take out all the bots. Karai was enthusiastic to use her new naginata. She let herself get surrounded by a few bots, gripping her hands tightly around the handle.

"Karai! Don't worry, I'll come and help- -" Mikey started, pausing as Karai shook her head.

"It's okay, I've got this!"

She smiled as the bots came closer to her. Once they were too close for comfort, she sprinted into action. The ones directly in front of her were the first ones to perish. Though the blade was thin and light, Leo wasn't lying; it really delivered. One swing and the bots were done for. She took some out from behind, already feeling at one with her naginata. One of the bots, though, managed to grab a hold of the naginata handle, having a tug-of-war with Karai. Karai pulled out the tanto before her naginata was pulled away from her hands. As the few bots that surrounded her inched closer, she advanced towards each of them and planted the tanto in, pushing it down and going to the next as they all collapsed within a matter of seconds.

Raph, witnessing this, had a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "She's badass."

The turtles and Karai panted as they examined all the bots they had taken down. Karai waltzed and grabbed her naginata, sheathing the blade in her belt. She turned to join the turtles once again, feeling the rush course throughout her body. She looked down at her hands for a moment, turning them over before she looked back up.

"That was a nice practice for my new weapons," Karai said, combing back some strands of her hair. "If that's all we're gonna get to do tonight, I should start heading to April's."

"You were awesome!" Mikey chirped, approaching her. "Master Splinter's training is really paying off with how short of a time he's been trainin' ya!"

"Mikey's right," Donnie replied. "You've really gotten the hang of Master Splinter's training in such short notice. Do you wanna come on patrols more often?"

Karai smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "I wouldn't mind. What do you thi- -"

The five heard a sudden loud buzzing coming from the entrance they came through. They quickly ceased their talking and leaped into the shadows, trying to figure out what was making such a sound. They heard the figure cursing under their breath.

"Curses! The turtles; always thwarting my plans! No matter. I can't send incompetent robots to grab such an important canister. I'll just obtain it myself with no hassle, seeing that none of those stupid terrapins are around."

"Oh, we're around!" Mikey yelled as they all popped out of the shadows.

Donnie's face fell, his eyes darting to Mikey. "You just implied that we're stupid, Mikey."

Mikey tilted his face down, groaning. "What is up with you messin' up my mojo, D?"

Donnie shrugged. "Just saying."

"Are you two done?" Raph growled lowly at them.

"What's with the cloak?" Karai asked the figure. The figure suddenly stiffened as Karai spoke. It removed its hood, glaring as much as fly could. Karai took a step back, trying not to look so shocked. "You guys weren't kidding."

" ** _You_** ," Stockmanfly buzzed lowly, striding towards Karai threateningly. "You're the reason why I'm being torn apart piece by piece! You don't know how cruel Shredder has been to me since he saw you on the docks." Stockmanfly suddenly started laughing hysterically, drawing closer to Karai. "Just to have you in front of Shredder might be enough for him to give me the retromutagen I created for myself! I could have my original human form back!"

The turtles immediately stepped in front of Karai like a shield. "You're not laying a hand on her," Leo barked.

"She is the key to my original form! You think just because you're here that I'll buzz off?"

"That's the idea, yeah," Mikey replied.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can become your personal fly swatters," Raph snickered.

Mikey laughed to himself. "Good one, Raph," Mikey whispered.

"Luckily for me, what I have of the serum is enough to take effect on her. It will take time, though. Slowly but surely she will feel her mind becoming focused on Shredder and exterminating you four and that rat father of yours. Just one touch," Stockmanfly started quickening his pacing. "Or if it ends up in you four, you can eradicate what's left of the Hamato clan and either be a slave to Shredder or face inevitability and die at Shredder's hands. Either way, it's a win for me!"

Mikey's eyes narrowed as he felt his heart race. He threw down three smoke bombs, giving them enough time to get out of the immediate line of sight. The five teens heard Stockmanfly buzz lowly as he struggled to find where they were. He spotted them just as the smoke subsided and made his way to follow them. He still had Tiger Claw's jet pack, so he flew up and managed to catch up to them. He appeared in front of them, almost touching Karai. The five teens backed into a corner, having nowhere to go. Donnie quickly looked to Karai, looking back at Stockman as she nodded. They had prepared for something like this.

"Hand her over and your inevitability of death will prolong," Stockmanfly sneered.

"Not in your life," Leo replied, standing in front of her. Karai suddenly pushed him aside. She stepped up to Stockman, facing him. "Karai, what are you doing?"

"I can't let you guys keep fighting my battles," Karai replied. "I have to fight them myself."

"Bahah! Score goes to Stockma- -ahh!" Karai grabbed onto his arm, throwing him over her shoulder as the turtles started bailing alongside her. He managed to sit up and face them. "You fool! You touched me; the serum is surely coursing throughout your system as we speak!"

Karai stretched out the cloth over her hand, smirking as Stockman buzzed lowly. "What, you think I didn't come prepared? Come on, Stockman, you're supposed to be smart."

"Cloth won't resist the serum!"

"Unless it's modified to disrupt and evade anything that's not oxygen," Donnie replied. "Let's go, guys. I wouldn't want to be Stockman right now."

With that said, the turtles and Karai disappeared. Stockman felt his neck stiffen, but as long as Shredder didn't learn that he had encountered the turtles and Karai and came back with the canister, he would likely avoid another 'punishment' from Shredder. Stockman struggled to stand, but eventually did. He grabbed the canister and retreated, hoping that his body wouldn't writhe in front of Shredder as to avoid any questioning.

The turtles and Karai ran until they were far away enough from the warehouse and stopped to take a breather. Karai looked down at her hands again, feeling her chest stiffen. Donnie looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I promise; that serum isn't going to affect you. As long as you have the suit on, you're safe."

Karai nodded, sighing. "I'm not doubting yours and April's work, it's just a little unsettling to know he had the serum applied on him."

"Don't worry, Karai, Don's inner nerd pays off," Raph replied, elbowing her. "We gotta head down; it's gettin' late."

"I'll see you guys later," Karai said, waving as they retreated to a nearby manhole. When she saw that the turtles went down, she decided to do something she had been thinking about for a while. She sent April a quick text before she started going to Shredder's lair.

'Hey, I'm gonna be late; weapon got damaged, gonna have my father help me repair it.'

April read the message, sending a short message back so she could return to her sleep.

'Alrighty, see ya in a bit!'

Karai didn't want to go back to Shredder, and she knew her plan wasn't going to be easy. Her plan was to talk to Shredder, ask him to return at least Stockman to his human form, and walk out of there. Not a very well thought out plan, but it was all she could think of. If anything didn't go her way, she would use her new training and go to one of the exits in the building, hopefully getting away before Shredder could catch up to her.

As Karai approached the steps, she drew in a sharp breath before she opened the doors. She heard Footmen taking out their weapons and told them to hold. Hearing Karai's voice surprised Shredder, and he demanded that the Footmen stepped away from her. She walked up to his seat and looked up at him. She felt her knees buckle, but she stopped herself before she bowed down. She was no longer part of the Foot, and not bowing was a way to announce this. Shredder removed his kabuto so that Karai and he could talk face to face.

"Karai, you've returned to me," Shredder started.

"No, I'm never rejoining the Foot. I know what you and Stockman are planning. If you try to get a serum into me, you don't care about me at all. I was just a trophy to you; a way to mock my true father."

"Nonsense; I took care of you, I raised you as my own. I could have left you to perish in that fire."

Karai clenched her fists for a moment, restraining her want to yell at him. "Allow Stockman to return to his human self."

"On what grounds do you think you can expect me to listen to your demands?"

"On the grounds that you apparently do care for me. You shouldn't be so cruel towards your men. If you think lashing out your anger by disembodying someone piece by piece would make me come back to your side, you're sorely mistaken."

Shredder narrowed his eyes at her as he put his kabuto back on. "You imply that if I do, you will return?"

Karai couldn't help but to let out a little laugh. "I'll never return to your clan. I know now that I deserve better than being ordered around and getting nothing but hostility from someone who says they care about me."

"I see no reason to accept your request, then."

"I wasn't done." Karai sighed, her stare towards Shredder firm. "If you do turn him back to his original self, I might open my mind and visit you."

Shredder snickered. "I will not do this on a base of 'if.' It must be certain. Stockman will remain in his grotesque form, and I will continue to lay punishments upon him until you are by my side, as fate intended."

Karai took a step back, narrowing her eyes at him. "That is my only offer."

"I will get you back to me one way or another. This is not one of the ways."

"Thing is, that's the only way I'd ever contact you. But since you insist that you don't want it this way," Karai suddenly threw down multiple smoke bombs, gliding through the smoke as she heard Shredder growl in frustration. She managed to find the canister that contained Stockman's retromutagen and grabbed a hold of it, darting away in one of the exits as Shredder managed to spot her through the smoke. Shredder decided to handle this situation himself.

Karai found her way to Stockman's lab and darted inside of it, a bit sidetracked as she examined the large, glass-encased cages that circled around the lab. She spotted the cage that she was stuck in for so long, her heart feeling as though it was clenching. She shook her head as she heard Shredder's heavy footsteps getting closer and started running to where Stockman would be. She found him at his desk, his hood over his head. She threw the canister behind him and grabbed the other canister that he had. Luckily, the retromutagen and the canister she stole had similar colors.

"What the- -!" Stockman exclaimed. "What are you- -"

"Retro!" Karai yelled, pointing down to the canister she dropped at his feet. "Hurry before he comes!"

Stockman's bug eyes somehow widened, and he looked down to the canister containing the retromutagen. He didn't hesitate at all; he opened the canister and held it above him, watching as the retromutagen covered his body. The pain was excruciating, even in the fetal position. But he could feel fingers and toes instead of feelers, huge eyes shrink to normal size, hair instead of antennae. He laughed as he felt the grotesque and rough exterior return to human skin.  
Once he stopped writhing, he reached for the mirror that Tiger Claw had given to him and looked at himself in the mirror. His left side was missing an eye still. He decided he would use an eye patch to cover it up now that he had the option to. He used a broken piece of glass from the container and held it out in front of him as he held the little mirror behind him. He was thankful that the glass enabled him to look into the tiny mirror. He lifted up the back of his shirt and drew in a sharp breath as he saw two large and long gashes down along his shoulder blades; the place where his wings used to be. He would patch it up no problem.

Stockman stayed down as he heard Shredder approach him. He covered himself with the cloak and raised his arm over his head, hoping it was believable enough to look like his fly head under the cloth. He grabbed broken pieces of glass and swiped it under him.

"Sh-she's not f-far, M-Master," Stockman said, doing his best fly impression.

Shredder scoffed down at him. "Pathetic. Letting a mere teenager throw you down."

With that said, Shredder heaved Stockman's words and continued his chase after Karai. Luckily for Karai, Shredder's little stop to insult Stockman gave her enough time to get away from Shredder's lair and hide behind a large billboard. Shredder looked around, letting out a loud yell of frustration as he didn't see her anywhere. Karai knew that Shredder would wait around and see if she would come out and run, thinking that he would be inside. She waited as long as she needed to until she was sure that she was in the clear before she started to sneak away. She was glad that she had training from Splinter; if she hadn't, she would have been captured by now.

Karai made sure to stick to the shadows as she ran just as a precaution. When she saw a manhole cover that was in the dark, she slipped down into the manhole and slid the cover over as quietly as she could. She made her way to the lair and made sure to be quiet so that she wouldn't wake the turtles or Master Splinter. She sneaked into Donnie's lab and stored the canister behind some objects, hoping that it wouldn't be easy to spot. She immediately left afterwards, making her way to April's place. When she got to April's room, she saw that April was deep asleep. She sighed in relief, slipping on some comfortable clothes over her suit. Her mind was reeling; she couldn't believe she actually managed to escape Shredder. Even though her mind was rattling with questions, she quickly went to sleep.

* * *

**(*) (*) (*) (*)**

* * *

Shredder stomped back into his building after staying outside for so long. Somehow Karai had managed to escape him, and he was not happy about it at all. He went to Stockman's lab, wanting to see whether Karai took off with the retromutagen or the new canister or not. Shredder was seething when he saw Stockman standing as his original self. Karai had gotten her wish of Stockman returning to his human form. Stockman was marveling at his human features, and Shredder glared as Stockman laughed with pure joy. Stockman had treated the gashes on his back and bandaged it with wrapping as well as finding an eye patch to cover his empty eye socket.

Stockman's joy immediately vanished as he heard Shredder's blades come out of their compartments of Shredder's gauntlet. He didn't bother to turn around; he knew his fate. He knew sooner or later it would come, but he hadn't expected it to come at such a short time. Of course his joy would be cut short; there was no such thing as happiness when Shredder was in control of your life. Shredder approached Stockman from behind, his arm raised.

Stockman was left more broken than he would have imagined. He expected another limb to be taken away from him, but Shredder wasn't done there. Stockman's left arm was now gone, but also was his ability to use his legs. Shredder had fractured Stockman's spine from his neck. He had once again left his mark on the scientist. Shredder left Stockman laying on the ground, not even being considerate enough to sit him on a chair. Stockman sent Tiger Claw to tend to the scientist and wanted Tiger Claw to ensure that Stockman did not die. Shredder still needed Stockman.

Tiger Claw approached Stockman, who looked lifeless and limp, and checked to see if he was still alive. Tiger Claw checked for a pulse on Stockman's wrist, his heart's pacing slowing as he felt a weak beat from Stockman's pulse. Tiger Claw searched around the lab, seeing if there was anything that he could set Stockman down on. He found a wheelchair and went to grab it. He was a bit puzzled as to why Stockman had a wheelchair, but he knew it wasn't the time for questions. He carefully set Stockman down on the wheelchair, sitting across from him and waiting for Stockman to awaken.


	23. Next Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This chapter is going to skip ahead in time about three times (a bit confusing, I know) but oh man it's gonna be something to leave you all with. More elements of 2003 are going to be in this chapter (I'm pretty darn excited and I'm the one writing it holy heck). I'm going to take the end of the recent ep of 2012 (City at War) of Shredder's scene and make my own spin on it, so just let it be known I wrote this before it reveals what he'll actually do in the show! This chapter is... gonna be long, yeah.
> 
> Okay wow this is a lot to drop on you all I'm so sorry. As always, I hope you enjoy, and thank you for your patience!]

With the next couple of weeks, Stockman had created a more advanced wheelchair to wheel himself around in. Now that his legs were paralyzed, he wasn't sure what Shredder could possibly do worst, but he knew better than to doubt Oroku Saki's cruelty. Creating the new wheelchair proved difficult with only his right arm. After he had finished making his new transportation system, he started working on a robotic arm to replace where his left arm used to be. Every move he made was excruciatingly frustrating, since Shredder had fractured Stockman's neck. Stockman was glad to be his human self again, but he wasn't sure all that had been done to him was worth it. Stockman went through many prototypes until his ideal arm had been created; a robotic limb able to bend in all ways a regular human arm could, being able to use all fingers and grapple things firmly, and also the addition of the feeling of touch. Creating sensors similar to human sense of touch proved the most hassling, but he had done it.

Meanwhile, the turtles and Karai had been going on patrols every night, always coming out as the successors. Against the Foot, though, it never felt like a victory. It felt more like a cliffhanger. April had been given the title of kunoichi, and the guys and Casey all celebrated together. Karai had dropped by later on that night with pizza, sodas and pizza gyoza (which she managed to hide from the turtles.) One night, the turtles and Karai had learned about what had happened to Stockman and that the Foot clan had relocated. Tiger Claw was the one who revealed it to them.

"Your rat master will pay for what he has done to Master Shredder," Tiger Claw growled.

"You leave Sensei outta this!" Mikey spat.

"Because of your Sensei, Master Shredder's health has slowly deteriorated from the attack the night of the invasion. We had to relocate to prevent any surprises from you low life scums."

Karai wanted to ask how it came to be so when he looked unharmed when she had encountered him, but she didn't want to reveal that she had gone to see the Shredder. It would make her look suspicious and she didn't want to lose her family's trust; not when she just got it. "It serves him right for everything he's done!" She yelled.

Tiger Claw snarled at her. "Little girl. Your stubbornness has cost Shredder more of his form."

Karai's eyes widened and her grip around her naginata tightened. "What are you talking about?"

"Stockman was somehow able to get a hold of his retromutagen and reverted himself to his original form. For that, Shredder not only took Stockman's left arm from him, but he also took his ability to walk."

"Don't you dare try to pin Shredder's cruelty on her!" Leo barked.

"Sounds to me like you're revolted by Shredder's actions," Donnie pointed out. "It's not a bad thing to feel sorry for Stockman, either. It's terrible what's happening to him, even if he is evil."

"Hah, 'evil' is being too generous, Don," Raph snarked. "Seriously, Shredder needs to get over the fact that Karai's not comin' back to him and move on. It's gettin' old."

Mikey groaned. "Ugh, this is getting boring. Booyakasha!" Mikey unexpectedly threw down a smoke bomb, giving them a chance to escape before they could engage in battle with Tiger Claw. When they were far away from they had escaped from, the turtles and Karai looked at Mikey with puzzled looks. Mikey asked, "what?"

"What'd ya do that for?" Raph asked. "We totally coulda handled him!"

Mikey shrugged. "It was getting boring! Dudes, Shred-head's outta town! We don't gotta worry about him for a while!"

"Mm, not necessarily, Mikey," Donnie replied. "Shredder is going to send his goons and Foot bots to deal with us while he recovers. He's probably up to something, too."

"When is he not?" Raph groaned. "Whatever Shredder's got, we can handle it."

"We've got to prepare for whatever Shredder can throw our way. I feel like he's up to something more complicated than anything he's thrown at us before."

While the turtles conversed, Karai was thinking about the night she gave Stockman his retromutagen. Sure, she knew when Shredder found out that he'd do something to Stockman; it was inevitable. She didn't expect Shredder to take away Stockman's ability to walk, though. She could barely comprehend it. She couldn't imagine how difficult Stockman had worked to make himself a transportation system he was satisfied with with only his right arm. She couldn't imagine the pain, either. She quickly clenched her fists, breathing in and out deeply. Once her heart started to slow down, she slowly released her tight hold, feeling the blood flow normally throughout her hands.

"Karai?" Leo said. "Hey, are you okay?" He whispered to her.

"Wha- - oh, yeah, I'll be fine. Sorry, I kind of spaced out. Did you guys come up with anything yet?"

"Well, Donnie said he's made some new gear and some weapons that could help us out when we encounter the Foot. That's all we've got so far."

Karai chuckled. "Not much of a plan, but it's a start."

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, the turtles, April, Casey and Karai had all gone through rigorous training and practiced with the new aids Donnie created. Though training wasn't Casey's forte, he wanted to be prepared as much as he possibly could. Rest assured, though, he'd throw out his own moves. On patrols, there were shifts and days in which what groups would take what shifts. Leo, Karai, and Mikey were one group while Raph, Donnie, Casey and April were the other group.  
Each group would take turns doing night patrol and would explain what had happened during their encounters (if any) with the Foot, seeing if they could use the information to their advantage. It seemed that Stockman had made a surplus of weapons seeing that the Foot clan had to leave their weapons in the abandoned Foot lair. Fishface, Rahzar and Tiger Claw were the ones that they would usually encounter. If they battled Rocksteady or Bebop, it was when they caught the two stealing things Stockman had sent them out to get.

Splinter, of course, was wary about the whole situation. "Even when he is down, Shredder will stop at nothing to get what he wants. My sons, my daughter, April and Casey, you all should take extreme caution when it comes the night that you face the Shredder. I fear he will approach you all with something he would never imagine doing himself. He will resort to any means for victory."

"We won't let our guards down, Sensei," Leo assured. "We won't disappoint you." Leo turned to the others. "Come on, we should do one more round of training before Raph, Don, April and Casey go on patrol."

The teens nodded, following Leo to the training area. After a rigorous time of training, the four headed out to go on patrol. They brought along Donnie's new aid equipment just in case. Leo, Karai and Mikey took it upon themselves to plop right down on the couch to catch their breaths. Mikey's arms felt tense, but he knew complaining about it wouldn't do much help. He got up and announced that he was going to get something to eat, asking Leo and Karai if they wanted anything. The two nodded in response, and Mikey left with a smile.

Karai let out a heavy breath as she turned to face Leo. "You're not tired, are you?"

Leo snorted. "Me? Nope. Are you?"

Karai scoffed. "As if. How dare you even ask me such a thing?"

Leo laughed, letting out a sigh. "I have a feeling that when we face Shredder, things are going to really change."

Karai raised a brow at this. "Why?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm not sure. I feel it in my gut. I just feel- - I know- - after we finish battling Shredder, things are going to be different."

"Different is normal for you; you're a talking turtle."

"Aside from that. I don't know how to explain it; I just know it. For once, I'm hoping I'm wrong." Mikey came out with some bowls of assorted fruits and some juice and handed them to Karai and Leo. Mikey went to the kitchen and came back out with his bowl and glass, smiling as he looked down at the fruit. Leo chuckled, rubbing the top of Mikey's head. "One thing's for sure though; I have to make sure everyone gets out of there alive."

Mikey turned his head to look at Leo. "That includes you, bro," Mikey responded quickly with his mouth full of berries. He swallowed them down. "You can't go all Mr. Sacrifice-myself-and-stay-behind-while-everyone-escapes when we face Shred-head. It'd suck to have ya out like ya were for those 3 months."

Leo frowned. "I'm not going to isolate myself, Mikey. I know that we're all in this together."

Mikey leaned onto Leo's legs as he shoved some more berries in his mouth. "Good. Can't lose ya, bro."

Karai smiled at the two blue eyed turtles. "You two are adorable sometimes," she said, lightly tapping Mikey's nuzzle.

Mikey smiled warmly, chuckling. "I know. I'm the cutest one, though."

Karai rolled her eyes, smiling. "Of course you are." Karai started to eat her fruits, finding herself quite hungry after the training they just finished. Leo browsed the channels as he ate his fruit, trying to find something decent to watch until the others came back. Leo stopped channel surfing when he heard his T-Phone ring.

"What's up, Raph?"

"Leo, ya gotta come quick; Shredder's back."

Leo shot out of his seat. "We're on our way. Don't do anything until we meet up with you guys." Leo ran to the lab, grabbed the extra equipment and tossed them to Karai and Mikey. "It's go time."

Mikey and Karai looked at each other before they put on their equipment. The three headed for the exit, but froze when Splinter stopped them in their tracks. "I fear this is too dangerous for you all to handle yourselves. I will join you."

Karai's heart felt like it jumped out of her chest. "Father, please; you could get hurt!"

"And you could as well, Miwa. I am going, there is no objection. Let us join your brothers and the others."

* * *

As soon as everyone was together, they all headed for Shredder's lair. April, Karai and Mikey crawled in through the open window, Raph and Casey through the roof, and Donnie, Master Splinter and Leo through the entrance. Everyone immediately took out the Footbots on guards to avoid being spotted. April, Mikey and Karai listened carefully as Shredder made his way to his 'throne.' Something immediately looked different about Shredder. Karai couldn't put her finger on it at first, but as she saw his eyes, her heart stopped.

"Look at his eyes," Karai whispered to the two freckled teens. "They're... bright..."

April squinted as she noticed. "They're practically glowing. What's going on?"

"Shh!" Mikey shushed as Tiger Claw came in the lair and bowed before Shredder.

"Master, we have seen no sign of the turtles or Karai so far. We will keep searching and bring them to you."

Shredder narrowed his eyes. "Make it so, Tiger Claw. I ache to show those turtles how they will meet their end. Then, I will have my daughter back."

"That's not going to happen," a voice echoed through the room. "We defeated you once, we can defeat you again."

Shredder cackled as he let the blades out from his gauntlets. "Turtles." The turtles, Casey, April, and Karai emerged from their hiding spots, their faces stern. "For once, I look forward to seeing you all. You fools make it oh so easy to get my daughter back to my side by bringing her along."

"Not going to happen," Karai spat. "You never had me on your side."

"Get them!" Shredder bellowed. Rocksteady, Bebop, Fishface, and Rahzar appeared. "Do as much carnage as possible, but their last breaths will be taken by me."

"You won't lay a hand on them," a voice from above called. Splinter suddenly dropped from above and glared at Shredder. "I will not allow it, Saki."

Shredder cackled once again. "The rat emerges from the shadows. I should have ended you when you were feral."

Everyone engaged into battle. Fishface and Raph, Rahzar and Mikey, Tiger Claw against Leo and Karai, Casey against Bebop, and Rocksteady against April and Donnie. Stockman sent in a swarm of bots, but it had little effect. Nothing but tire had progressed among everyone, except for Splinter and Shredder. Shredder grew tired of no results, and he abruptly kicked Splinter away and yelled "enough!"

Karai turned, sweeping her legs under Tiger Claw and rushing to Splinter. "Father!"

"He is not your father; he is a mere rat, and it is all he will ever be," Shredder bellowed. "This is your final chance, Karai. Join your true father."

Karai narrowed her eyes, helping Splinter up. "I already have."

Shredder growled. "Let it be known you brought this upon yourself, Karai." Shredder's veins suddenly glowed a bright green along with his eyes. He started to twitch and he was forced to the ground as what was happening took place. Everyone watched as Shredder rose again and removed his kabuto. His grin made the turtles want to crawl inside their shells. "I will take it from here."

With that being said, Tiger Claw and the other Foot members moved away and kept a safe distance. Shredder's new 'powers' were still unpredictable, even to the Shredder. Stockman had warned that it was too soon for concrete results, but Shredder wasn't interested. As long as he knew that it could help him win his vendetta, he couldn't care less. Splinter's eyes widened and he immediately shoved Karai behind him.

"My sons, Miwa, April and Casey. Go. Now!" Splinter yelled.

"They will do no such thing!" Shredder yelled. "Block the exits! I will not let you cower away, Yoshi. You will all perish tonight at my hands."

The exits were blocked, and more Foot bots were sent in for more coverage. The turtles cursed under their breath. Casey and April looked around, trying to find any possible exits or any ways they could possibly make their own exit. Karai stood by Splinter's side, her hand gripped firmly on the handle of her naginata. April unsheathed her tanto and revealed her tessen. Casey pulled out an undamaged hockey stick along with explosive pucks. The turtles made sure they had the knock out powder at the ready if needed. Shredder slowly descended down the steps. His eyes were set on Master Splinter at first, but he fixated his gaze on Leonardo.

"The leader will fall first," Shredder announced. "Tiger Claw, Rahzar, Rocksteady. Advance on the pathetic terrapin and leave him to me, as had happened all those months ago."

Raph's pupils practically shrunk, and his heart stopped. "You're not laying a hand on my brother!" Raph growled. The turtles, April, Casey, Karai and Splinter circled around Leo. "You're gonna have to go through us!"

Leo was baffled as all he could see were the backs of those he came to know and love. To have them all instantly jump to protect him was startling. It gave him a swelling feeling of being wanted. He stepped through Mikey and Raph, then stood at their sides.

"Afraid to approach on your own? I thought you just said you'd handle us yourself!" Leo taunted.

Shredder glared at Leo. "Taunts will only make you meet your fate sooner."

"We won't ever fall at your hands. If we should have, we still wouldn't be a problem for you now."

Karai was perplexed at how condescending Leo was being towards Shredder. She was positive that they were going to come out of this harmed, but by how confident Leo was, the severity of harm wouldn't be as bad as she had thought. Shredder immediately advanced towards the blue clad turtle, but Leo swiftly stood out of the way along with the others. Shredder growled, his eyes set on the turtle who dared to defy him. Shredder leaped in front of Leo and clashed his gauntlet blades against Leo's katana blades.

Tiger Claw and the others suddenly began to advance on the others to leave Shredder to finish Leo with no interruptions. Shredder grew frustrated with the sound of blades colliding instead of hearing the sound of an agonized scream come from the turtle. Shredder tried swinging below, but Leo quickly evaded it. Shredder grew impatient and decided to use a modification made to his gauntlet; as his blades hit Leo's blades once again, he sent a surge of electricity from his gauntlets to Leo's blades, quickly stepping back as the shock surged throughout Leo's body. Leo let out a loud, pained scream as he fell to his knees, his katanas falling from his hands.

Raph sharply turned around, his body frozen as he saw Leo lying on the floor. "Leonardo, no!" Raph drew his sai out and sliced it along Rocksteady's arm, kicking him away before the rhino could attack. Raph ran towards Leo, dropping down and checking to see if Leo was breathing. "Leo, bro! Are you okay? Please, be okay!"

Leo let out a dry, raspy cough, and his eyes shut tightly. He opened his eyes just a bit and tried to give Raph a reassuring smile, but his mouth fell as he saw Shredder tower over Raph. Leo quickly sat up as much as he could and grabbed a katana, jabbing Shredder's leg once again and watching as Shredder stumbled backwards. "Raph, I'll be okay; don't let Shredder use his tazers on you," Leo breathed as he slowly got back up.

"This ain't gonna slide," Raph growled. "Shredder's hurt ya for the last time."

Raph left Leo's side and made a beeline for Shredder while he was still stumbling. "Raph, wait!" Leo yelled.

Raph took out his sais as he directly kicked Shredder's side, sending him a few feet away. As he saw Splinter take down Tiger Claw and avert his attention to Shredder, Raph went back to Leo. He saw that Karai had been shielding attacks that were directed towards Leo, and he quickly joined her. Rocksteady again tried to attack Raph, but Mikey suddenly appeared and kicked the rhino on the side of his face. Mikey nodded towards the three before Rocksteady got back up and started advancing towards Mikey.

Donnie and April scanned around for possible exits, but there seemed to be none. As Fishface ran towards April, Donnie firmly set down his staff, leaped up, and kicked just as Fishface came into contact. "Okay, no visible exits around, April. Guess we're going to have to make our own."

April shot her hand out and watched as telekenetic beams threw Rahzar across the room. "How are we going to make one without having the whole building falling apart?"

Donnie smacked Fishface with his staff as he thought about this. "I'm not sure we really can!"

Casey grunted as Bebop kicked him to where Donnie and April were, wiping at his bottom lip as he got back up. "We're gonna have to gun our way out before we get crushed." He threw explosive pucks at the whooping warthog, smiling as he heard Bebop squeal in pain. "There's no other way."

Donnie looked to Leo, Raph and Karai, feeling unsure. "Leo got electrocuted; even if we did help him out, I'm not sure we'd be quick enough."

"You know Leo will power through," April replied, using the Dragon Tail move Splinter taught her on Tiger Claw as she saw him advancing towards them. "We'll make it, D."

"Have a lil faith, Kraang-breath," Casey smiled, thrashing his hockey stick around as Bebop shot his sticky substance from his belt.

Mikey wasn't sure he could distract Rocksteady for much longer. He was running out of clever remarks, as well. As Rocksteady charged at him, he yelped "I didn't say torro!" Mikey looked down at the egg with knock out powder in it, hesitant to use it. He only had two. He felt there was no other choice; as Rocksteady was inches from him, Mikey crushed the egg in his hand and blew the powder in Rocksteady's face. He breathed heavily as he saw Rocksteady's eye turn red and watched his body fall to the ground in a fetal position. "Man, he's fast!"

Raph rushed to Mikey. "Are you okay, little brother?"

"Yeah, just outta breath is all," Mikey panted in response. Mikey suddenly smelled something, his nuzzle crinkling in disgust. "What burned?" He turned his head and shrieked as he saw Splinter on the floor, his fur a shade darker and black smoke rising from him. "Sensei!" Mikey yelled. The turtles, Karai, Casey and April turned to look at Master Splinter, their bodies frozen. Mikey growled, taking his nunchucks out. "I'm not losing my father again!"

"Right behind ya, Mikey!" Raph yelled in response, running towards Shredder.

Shredder laughed hysterically. He waited for the two terrapins to get near enough so he could strike. He first grabbed Raph, lifting him over his form. Shredder gained some more strength with what was coursing through his body, and it wasn't looking good for Raph. Before Mikey could get Raph out of Shredder's arms, Shredder threw Raph face down onto his knee, hearing the air knock out of Raph, then throwing him on the floor shell first. He watched as Raph glided across the room, not responding.

"Raphael!" Leo yelled, trying to push away from Karai. Karai had her arms firmly wrapped around him, and she wouldn't budge. "Let me go; he's hurting our family!"

"You're in no shape to face him again!" Karai yelled.

"Raph! No!" Mikey screamed. "Donnie, gimme a hand!"

Donnie grit his teeth, joining Mikey on attacking Shredder. Shredder laughed at their attempts but stopped as the blade from Mikey's nunchuck handle cut the side of his face. He growled and kicked away Donnie as he focused on Mikey. Mikey was about to attack but wasn't quick enough; Shredder punched Mikey's chest then kicked the back of Mikey's kneecap, hearing an unnatural sound as Mikey yelled in pain. Before Mikey could fall to the floor himself, Shredder 'helped' him and kicked Mikey's shell.

"Michelangelo!" Leo yelled, his voice strained. His eyes swelled with tears as he shot out from behind Karai.

"Leonardo!" Karai yelled, trailing behind him. "You can't do it alone."

Fishface, Tiger Claw and Bebop were still up and made sure that Leo and Karai didn't reach Shredder as Donnie fought him. Leo was growing impatient. He let out a battle cry and toppled Tiger Claw to the ground. Before Tiger Claw could throw him off, Leo put a katana right over Tiger Claw's neck so that he couldn't move.

"I know damn well you're not the same Tiger Claw! You're probably an alternate Tiger Claw who knows what happened during the invasion!" Leo barked. "Don't give me any crap; why are you still serving him when you know he didn't hesitate to kill everyone for the sake of a pathetic vendetta? You used to be all about honor. Stay down and do not try to stop me when I get off of you or you won't walk out of here alive!"

Leo quickly left Tiger Claw and advanced towards Shredder, his katanas at the ready. Karai fought off Fishface and Bebop, quickly joining Leo's side to rescue Donnie, but they were a few seconds too late. Just mere seconds. It was like his life was playing in slow motion as he saw Shredder grab a tight hold on Donnie's left wrist and twist it, then throw one of his elbows down on Donnie's left shoulder with all the force he could muster. Leo watched as the blow rendered Donnie unconscious, his heart racing.

April and Casey growled, joining Leo and Karai on attacking Shredder. Shredder started to laugh. "I almost pity you pathetic scum. I will take away all that you love just as easily as I did to the rat."

That was the last thing Karai needed to reveal her tanto and jab it into Shredder's arm. Shredder yelled for a moment, but collected himself quickly and grabbed Karai, striking at her abdomen and throwing her across the room. Shredder easily took down Casey, April and Leo soon after. He faced Karai, scowling at her as she glared at him.

"So you take pride in murdering my mother?!" Karai yelled. "You said you loved her! You said you regretted killing my mother! You lied about that too, but why does that surprise me?"

"Don't you dare speak of how I felt for Tang Shen. She was the love of my life, and Hamato Yoshi took her away from me."

"No, you just can't face the simple fact that she didn't fucking want you! She chose Splinter! She loved Splinter! If anything, you were the person that made her realize it even more! If she were alive today, she would hate you as much as I do!"

"You ungrateful child. I raised you as my own and cared for you. I lo- -" Shredder suddenly fell to the ground as Leo and April kicked the back of his kneecaps. Casey slid an explosive puck towards Shredder's face, watching as it blew right near it. Donnie and the others finally regained consciousness, seeing that escape was now a possibility. There were still some Foot members up, though, and the exits were still blocked.

Casey slid Donnie an explosive puck. Donnie, Splinter, Raph and Mikey slowly got up, all looking to Donnie. Donnie glanced at Leo and April, then nodded at Karai. They were gonna have to make an immediate run for it. Shredder was still focused on Karai. His arm had a large gash in it, his legs felt dislocated, and his face burned almost as much as the day he burned down Splinter's dojo in Japan. Shredder suddenly laughed. "You are very much like me, Karai. Seeking vengeance like a true and honorable- -"

"Honorable?" Karai sneered at him. "You have no honor." Donnie took this as his cue to throw the puck at the nearest wall, and they all immediately ran. Some of them staggered but managed to make it. As the building started to collapse, they evacuated to the sewers as they heard sirens approaching.

* * *

The turtles staggered to the pit, collapsing where ever as Splinter stumbled to the couch. Karai, April and Casey were the least harmed of them all, but they still felt the intense pain surging in their bodies. Karai looked over at the turtles and her father, and she noticed that she was holding her breath. She rapidly blinked her eyes as she felt tears come up. April noticed this and rubbed her hand on Karai's back as a comforting gesture. Karai went to the kitchen to prepare ice packs. As she made as many as she could, she slammed her fist down on the island table.

"Damnit," she whispered harshly.

She came back out, placing the ice packs where there was the most damage on each turtle and on her father. Raph's plastron felt like it was pulsing with aches, if that was physically possible. She carefully set it on there, hesitant as he hissed. For Mikey, she carefully placed the ice pack on the back of his kneecap, biting down on her lip as Mikey whimpered. She put one on Donnie's left shoulder and noted that she would have to get back to his wrist. Donnie tried not to hiss, but it was hard not to. For Leo, she wasn't sure where to put one. He was electrocuted; he must have been hurting all over. It was the same case for Master Splinter.

She handed Casey ice packs and gave April a thermal heating pad. Karai didn't care about her pain in her abdomen; she could tend to it later. She didn't know what to do for them; they were all hurt so badly. She was just glad no one was stabbed. They were all silent. Karai sighed and decided that it was best to let them all rest since she couldn't do much more. She turned to Casey and April.

"I feel bad leaving them alone. I'm going to stay here," Karai said softly. "You two can head on up, I'll call you tomorrow and tell you if there's any changes."

April and Casey both crossed their arms over their chests. "I'm not going anywhere," April replied. "I'm not leaving their sides."

"Same here," Casey added. "They've got my back, I've got theirs."

Karai nodded to this, turning back to look at her family. She couldn't help but to feel guilty. She felt she could have done more.

April laid a hand on Karai's shoulder. "What's done is done. All we can do now is move on and prepare for next time."

Karai looked at April for a moment before she gave a little smile.

* * *

It took days until the guys and Master Splinter were up and about. Karai, April and Casey took the liberty of going on nightly patrols, if only for an hour or two before going back to the lair. The turtles insisted that the three teens should take a day away for them, but they wouldn't budge. Mikey didn't mind this since he was given things with no hesitation, but he made sure not to abuse his 'power.' Leo and Raph both wanted to get back to training and sparring, but Karai and April forbade it. If they caught Leo or Raph trying to do anything that'd strain their bodies, they'd pull on their mask tails and make them rest.

Master Splinter wasn't feeling the best. He and Leo got quite a shock, and their chests always felt heavy when they breathed. Karai would always make him tea and give him a cheesicle to gnaw on. She would whisper to him that she was sorry, and this upset Splinter. He wished she didn't blame herself for what happened. He noticed that Leonardo had also been hard on himself about what happened. His eldest children seemed to always be expecting much better out of themselves. He decided to have a talk with them. He had them follow him to the training area.

They sat down in front of him as Splinter sat underneath the tree and sipped on some tea. "Miwa, Leonardo, you two have been tormenting yourselves with your expectations you hold. Do not let it be a burden on you; you two did what you could."

Leo felt his neck stiffen. "Sensei, I could have done more. I could have thrown the powder at him while I had him; I could have prevented all of you getting hurt!"

"Father, I shouldn't have left you alone to fight Shredder; I knew that he had done something to himself to get a better advantage and I should have taken it more seriously," Karai said, clenching her fists. "I could have taken out Shredder earlier."

"Enough!" Splinter said, silencing the two. "You two shouldn't be looking down at yourselves. We all survived when we should have perished. We all are alive. With the building collapsing, I am sure we have much time to recover and prepare for the next battle. I am proud of you both; you two never disappoint me."

Leo and Karai glanced at each other before they tilted their heads down. They looked up to Splinter, seeing a kind smile on his face. The two in turn gave small smiles. "We won't let you down, Father," they said in unison.

"I know. Now go and join the others. Leonardo, you must recover before training resumes."

"Hai, Sensei," Leo replied, slowly getting up. He offered his hand down to Karai, helping her up. "I could use some tea. Want some?"

Karai chuckled. "What a gentle-turt."

Leo narrowed his eyes, giving her a mock laugh. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

They went and made themselves some tea and prepared some for the others. They came out and gave them each a cup, making sure it was with the tea each of them liked. Raph smiled as he smelled his tea, gladly taking a sip. Donnie grabbed his with his good arm, making sure his left arm was propped on a pillow comfortably. Mikey smiled as Leo handed him his tea and rubbed the top of his head. April and Casey were taking a nap in the rooms, so Leo decided he'd make theirs later. Leo sat himself between Raph and Donnie while Karai sat between Donnie and Mikey. Mikey had Bradford's show playing on the tv.

"Splinter told you and Karai to stop being edgy, huh?" Raph whispered to Leo, smirking. "About time."

Leo shot Raph a look as he smiled. "You're one to talk, edgelord."

Raph snorted, trying to keep himself quiet so Mikey could hear the show. "Hah, 'edgelord,' huh? Kinda like the sound of that. But uh, it suits ya better, with yer constant angst and all."

Leo scoffed at this, rolling his eyes as Raph snorted again. Meanwhile, Karai had been scanning Donnie's wrist as he was practically glaring at it. She was worried about him; she knew having a twisted wrist was really bothering Donnie since he was a hands-on guy. She wasn't sure if his wrist was getting better or not; it looked the same as it did the first day. Donnie caught her glance and turned to look at her as she shifted her gaze away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Karai said.

Donnie looked down at his wrist then back up at Karai. He gave her a kind smile. "You can tell, huh?"

"Tell what?"

"That it's bugging the shell out of me," Donnie replied, going back to looking at his wrist. "But uh, you know it's not your fault, right?"

Karai pursed her lips as she leaned into the couch. She pressed a finger against his temple and pushed. "Going to get all wise on me, Donatello?"

Donnie stuck his tongue out at her, giving her a grin. "I'm just saying. You did what you could. We all did. Just try to enjoy your annoying brothers and your friends while there's time to lay low. We'll be more prepared next time."

"Guys, shh!" Mikey hissed. "Something cool's about to happen!"

Donnie gave a nervous smile. "Sorry, Mikey."

Everyone paid attention to the show now, but a thought popped into Karai's head. ' _Yeah, next time._ '

A few more days passed and Master Splinter allowed training for the turtles to resume. Donnie's wrist seemed to be getting better and his shoulder didn't look as deeply bruised as it had before. Mikey's leg was healing nicely, but he still had to be cautious of it. Raph's abdomen hadn't ached as much as the previous days, but his and Mikey's shell still hurt some. Leo wasn't moving around as stiff as he had before, and he could more more flexibly with little pain. Master Splinter was getting better as well, as he and Karai had been making sure of it.

Casey and April were happy with their healing progress. Casey rough housed with Mikey and Raph sometimes, making sure to be careful, and April would practice katas with Leo and Donnie. Karai would go against the turtles in sparring, seeing them getting back in the swing of it day by day. Master Splinter instructed the turtles to use moves that involved dealing with their injuries, hoping that in time, it wouldn't be as painful. They heaved his word, having trouble at first but quickly getting used to it. One day, Donnie had been sparring with Casey, keeping this in mind. As Casey charged at him, Donnie drew in a sharp breath and extended his arms, grabbing Casey and throwing him over his shoulder. Donnie drew in another breath as his shoulder and wrist pulsed, but the pain subsided within minutes.

April jumped up, her hands covering her smile. "Donnie! I'm so proud of you!"

Donnie chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, it's nothing much," he replied. April pulled him in for a hug, being careful to not hug too tight. Donnie let out a bashful laugh, smiling as April released him. "Thanks, April."

"I'm okay, it's chill," Casey interrupted as he got back on his feet.

April smiled, going over to him. "You sure, Jones? That was quite the landing."

"Well, my back does kinda hurt," Casey said, pouting his lip out.

April smiled, patting the side of his face. "Awh, you'll be okay."

Casey became dumbfounded as April walked away. Karai chuckled, giving April a high five. "Now that was just uncalled for, princess," Karai said as she looked at Casey scowling at a laughing Donnie. April shrugged, laughing as she went to go spar with Mikey. Mikey took out his nunchucks, smiling smugly as April revealed her tanto. Before they began, Karai gave Mikey a quick hug for good luck, smiling as Mikey smiled warmly at her.

"Show me whatcha got, April!" Mikey said.

"Oh, but I wouldn't want to hurt you, Mikey!" April replied, advancing towards him. Mikey leaped out of the way, narrowing his eyes as the back of his leg twitched with a bit of pain. Nevertheless, he blocked April's attacks and managed to grab a hold of her wrist with one of his nunchucks. She smiled, bringing her leg up in the air and stepping down on the chain, watching as Mikey fell down. Mikey grunted, feeling the back of his leg start to pulse. April removed her leg from the chain, becoming worried when Mikey didn't get back up. His head was faced down to the floor and his hands were gripped tightly. "Mikey, I'm so sorry! Are you- -" April gasped as she saw Mikey fluidly twist himself around, using his injured leg to sweep her feet off the floor and make her fall to the ground. Mikey met her gaze, smiling as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Nice one."

Mikey got to his feet, brushing his shoulders off. "Yeah, I know. I'm awesome." He helped April to her feet, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, April. One day you'll be almost as awesome as me."

April scoffed, nudging him. "Wow, thanks, Mikey," she replied with a smile. April, Mikey, Karai, Casey and Donnie watched as Raph and Leo started an intense sparring against each other. April leaned against Mikey, crossing her arms over her chest. "Man, they're really aching for some action."

Mikey nodded, closing his eyes. "They hate doing nothing. They needa chillax."

Casey scoffed. "They live for action. You should try it out, Don."

Donnie muttered under his breath, elbowing Casey away. "I'm perfectly capable of kicking butt. I can show you again, no trouble at all."

Now it was Casey's turn to mutter under his breath. Karai rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around Casey and Donnie and pulling them close.

"Just watch. Leonardo and Raphael's sparrings are always interesting in some way," Karai said, turning their faces to look at the two sparring terrapins.

Leo and Raph's weapons connected, both of them trying to gain the upper hand. Raph grit his teeth, mustering all the strength he could. Raph pushed down, getting Leo's swords free from his sais. Leo and Raph narrowed their eyes before they advanced at each other, trying to land a blow on one another. Leo saw an opening, hesitant to do the move but seeing that he should take the opportunity before it was gone. He lifted his leg and kicked Raph in the plastron, sending him a few feet away.

Raph wrapped an arm around his lower plastron, breathing heavily. He looked up at Leo and saw that Leo's eyes were full of concern. Raph waved him off as a way to tell him it was alright. Raph straightened up and charged at Leo, not wanting to end the sparring so soon. He managed to make Leo stumble back, ready to make his next move as Leo ran towards him. Raph had a gap of his sai around Leo's wrist and twisted it, throwing Leo over his shoulder. Leo grunted as he crashed to the ground. Leo quickly got back up, smiling at Raph.

"Haven't used that move in a while, Raph," Leo said.

Raph shrugged, smiling. "It seemed fitting."

"You'll have to postpone beating each other into the ground," Donnie interrupted, looking down at his T-Phone. "One of my cameras just spotted some of the Foot on Bleaker."

Raph and Leo sheathed their weapons, walking over to Donnie. "Does it seem serious? What'd it see?"

Donnie scanned all the footage on his cameras for all of them to see. He stopped when he saw three figures in front of a little store. "Looks like Tiger Claw, Rahzar and Fishface are going into a shop."

Karai narrowed her eyes. "That store holds their weapon cache. We have to stop them before they can run off with it."

"Stop who?" Master Splinter asked, his hand gripped tightly around his staff.

The turtles, Karai, Casey and April turned to look at the rat master. "Father, Tiger Claw, Bradford and Xever are going to try to load up on their weapons and bring it back to the Shredder. We have to stop them!" Karai said. "I know you're worried about us, but we can handle this. It's only three of them. There's no sign of Shredder."

Splinter sighed. "Come home safely."

"Don't worry, Sensei. We'll be fine," April replied, giving him a reassuring look. "We'll be back before you know it."

The seven teens headed to the surface, surrounding the building. They slowly headed in, being careful to not be spotted. They watched as Tiger Claw, Rahzar and Fishface were ready to carry out arms full of weaponry.

"We must hurry. Master Shredder needs his weapon cache for what he has planned," Tiger Claw said. Suddenly, the weapons in Tiger Claw's arms short circuited and fell out of his arms. He growled as he spotted ninja stars on them. "Turtles!" The turtles emerged from the shadows, along with Casey, April and Karai. "Reinforcements. Hah. Three more of you to take down; not a problem."

"Take 'em down!" Leo yelled, glaring at Tiger Claw. Everyone advanced towards the three goons, rendering the Foot clan's weaponry useless one by one. Leo went after Tiger Claw, jumping out of the way as Tiger Claw shot at him. Leo threw a ninja star at Tiger Claw's ray gun, watching as it malfunctioned. Tiger Claw growled, exposing his claws and attempting to claw at Leo. Tiger Claw managed to grab hold of Leo and started to punch him, but Leo kicked him right in the furpatch and lowered his sword in Tiger Claw's face. Leo scoffed at the tiger. "You're pathetic."

Tiger Claw growled at the terrapin. "Who are you calling pathetic?" Tiger Claw got back up, ready to fight again.

"I'm guessing you!" Raph yelled, jumping on Tiger Claw's back and throwing him off guard. Tiger Claw growled, trying to remove the terrapin off of him. Tiger Claw grabbed Raph's wrist and threw him down on his shell, about to advance towards Leo. Raph grunted and slid himself in Tiger Claw's path, watching the overgrown cat trip and fall to the ground. "Down the kitty goes," Raph snickered, getting back on his feet.

Mikey and April were dealing with Rahzar, taking him by surprise. Mikey wrapped both of his nunchuck chains around Rahzar's wrists, pulling him forward and watching as April kicked the bony dog away. While they had time, they started planting some of the little explosives Donnie gave to everyone that would be activated remotely when they got out of there. They planted all of theirs right as Rahzar got back on his feet, already racing towards them. They glanced at each other as they unleashed another attack on Rahzar.

Karai and Casey dealt with Fishface, dodging his kicks to avoid any more injuries. Karai growled, revealing the blade in her shoes and kicking at the fish. Casey laughed, impressed with this. He grabbed some explosive pucks and launched them at Fishface, warning Karai to step away. As Fishface groaned as they exploded on impact, Casey and Karai planted their tiny explosives. Donnie planted all of his, then jumped into battle. Karai left Casey and Donnie to Fishface, deciding to deal with Tiger Claw. She took him by surprise, managing to punch his sides.

Leo, Raph and Karai were ready for Tiger Claw's next attack. The three teens advanced towards him, each knocked out one by one. Tiger Claw grabbed a hold of Karai's wrist, lifting her up and glaring at her. "You should be laid to rest already, cub. You've caused enough trouble. Your efforts are meaningless. You're the reason Stockman is being ripped apart."

"You've stripped yourself down to nothing but a dishonorable lowlife," Karai growled at him. "That's not my problem." She writhed in his hold, punching him in the eye and getting away as he winced and brought a hand up to his eye. "April!" Karai shouted.

April looked to Karai, looking at Tiger Claw and then nodding. She slid in front of the tiger just as he was lunging towards Karai, using the Dragon Tail move on him and smirking as he dropped to his knees and had a pained expression on his face. Donnie, Mikey and Casey laughed while Rahzar and Fishface winced, feeling sympathy pain for the tiger.

"All right, April! Booyakasha!" Mikey threw down a smoke bomb, leading the teens to escape. Donnie activated the tiny explosives as they got far enough from the building.

"I hate when they do that," Rahzar growled. Fishface and Rahzar looked around, noticing flashing dots around the entire building.

"Uh, we have a problem," Fishface announced, getting Tiger Claw's attention.

Tiger Claw shot up, yelling "run!" The three headed for the elevator, getting stuck. Tiger Claw's face fell. "Oh no."

* * *

The turtles, April, Casey and Karai went back down to the lair, adrenaline running throughout their bodies. The turtles were whooping as they came in, feeling confident that despite their injuries, they took down the three Foot members and destroyed their weapon cache. April was stuck in the middle of Donnie and Casey's hug, grunting but smiling. The turtles all gave a high three, laughing as they recalled the fight. Karai laughed, smiling as they all headed to the kitchen to grab a bite.

"You've all returned," Master Splinter said, getting Karai's attention.

"It's like April said; we'd be back before you know it, father," Karai replied, smiling as Splinter chuckled. "Father, I've been meaning to tell you something."

"What is it, Miwa?"

"I wanted to thank you for believing in me and making me an honorable kunoichi. I'm proud to be your daughter and to have you as my father." Karai hugged him tightly. "I love you. I can't thank you enough."

Splinter smiled down at her, feeling tears in his eyes. "I will always love you, my daughter, no matter what."

Karai pulled away from him, wiping at the tears that almost escaped her eyes. Splinter said that she should go celebrate with the others, so she did. She joined them in the kitchen, seeing that they had taken the liberty of eating the pizza gyoza they had brought from Murikami's. She wedged herself in between Raph and Leo, grabbing some of the pouches of dough and setting them on her plate. Everyone was boasting and smiling and looking so much brighter than they had been for the past couple of days. It warmed Karai's heart to see them all so happy and being their dorky selves. Raph was teasing Mikey, Donnie and Casey were recalling what they did during the battle, April talked about how amazing she felt to execute all the moves she performed, and Leo was just sitting there, laughing and simply looking as happy as he could be. Karai and Leo made eye contact, and they both smiled at each other.

After some time, they started to grow tired. April and Casey were about to crash on the couch, but Karai insisted they go to their homes and sleep on their own beds for at least one night. She told them she'd make sure she'd keep an eye on the turtles. April and Casey agreed, but probably only because they were so tired. As Karai walked them out, she stopped them.

"April, I've been meaning to tell you that... you're a great friend. You're an amazing kunoichi, and you'll only get better. Don't let anyone make you think different. If you can kick my butt, you can take anyone down." Karai then turned to Casey. "You're such a smug ass, but you're a cool guy. You've got real potential, Jones. And your moves aren't so bad, either."

Casey chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You ain't so bad yourself, sweetheart," Casey replied, putting up finger guns and clicking his tongue as he started heading out. "See ya."

April was smiling so wide, it made Karai laugh bashfully. "What?" Karai asked.

April pulled her in a hug. "The same to you, Karai. Don't let the Shredder make you doubt yourself or make you feel guilty for things that aren't your fault."

Karai chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, princess." She pulled out of April's embrace. "You should head up. You look ready to sleep in your own bed." With that said, April waved goodbye and left the lair. The turtles came out of the kitchen, yawning and rubbing their eyes. "Awh, look at the sleepyheads. So tired so soon."

Mikey raised his arms up and smiled tiredly at Karai. He curled his fingers as she walked to him and hugged him. "G'night, sis," Mikey yawned, pulling away from her and trudging to his room. Karai strode to Donnie and pressed lightly on his head, smiling as he stuck his tongue out at her. Donnie patted her on the shoulder and headed to his room, ready to sleep in his bed. Karai stepped up to Raph and rested her arm on top of his head, laughing as Raph lamely shrugged her off.

"It'll be nice to have some peace and quiet around here finally while you're asleep," Karai said to Raph.

Raph snickered, giving her a fist bump. "Don't get your hopes up, princess, I'm here whether ya like it or not." Raph raised his arm as he walked to his room, greeting Chompy tiredly and closing the door behind him.

Now it was just Leo and Karai. Leo smiled tiredly at her. "I'm going to have a late night snack before I sleep. You want to join me?" Leo asked, heading to the kitchen.

"You're still hungry after stuffing your face?" Karai laughed. "Sure." Karai sat herself down on the couch, waiting for Leo to come out with the snacks. Leo handed her a bowl of chips and some juice, sitting a respectable distance away from her. She looked at him, rolling her eyes at him. "What are ya, scared of me? Don't worry Leo, I won't bite."

Leo smiled, scooting closer to her. "I'm not so sure about that," he replied. "You're full of surprises."

Karai smiled at this. "Well then, you'll just have to see what happens, won't you?"

"I guess so," Leo responded, taking a bite of a chip. Leo turned the TV on and found something decent for them to watch as they both ate in a comfortable silence. Karai quickly finished her chips and emptied her glass of juice. Karai shifted on the couch, laying her legs out on the cushions and leaning against Leo's side. Leo quietly gulped, feeling his face warm up. "What am I, a pillow?"

Karai sat up, turning and looking at the turtle. "No," she said, holding his arms as she made him sit back on the cushions, turning his body around a bit and then laying on him, her head on his shoulder. "You are now, though."

Leo cleared his throat. "Well, don't get too comfortable. I've got a bed that's calling my name."

Karai saluted to this. "Aye aye, Captain." Leo snorted at this, chuckling as he grabbed some more chips. Karai smiled, manually lowering his shoulder. "If you're gonna shake, at least be considerate and let me be comfortable." Another comfortable silence set in. When Karai saw that Leo had finished his snack, she cleared her throat. "Leonardo, I just want you to know that I'm grateful for all you've done for me. Because of you and your brothers, I found my real father and have become an honorable warrior. I've found self worth I hadn't discovered before. I know what it is to finally have a family. You're, I dunno, irreplaceable or whatever."

Leo was quiet at first. Karai sat up and looked at him, not sure why he was being so quiet. She was about to say his name when he turned his head to face her. "I'm glad you didn't find me boring either," Leo finally replied, giving her a small but warm smile. "Believe me when I say you've definitely changed my life."

Karai chuckled at this. "Ah, your vagueness always intrigues me," Karai replied. "Breathe a word- -"

"- -and I'm done for, I know," Leo replied. "Wouldn't want to get on your bad side again." Leo got up, stretching his arms up and rubbing his eyes. "I'm gonna hit the sack."

"'Hit the sack?' What are you, 11? Well, that explains the duck blanket," Karai mocked.

"Hey, that blanket is really soft and really warm," Leo defended. "And because of what you just said, you'll never get to experience it."

"Oh no, I'm hurt," Karai said, raising a hand to her chest. "I am truly missing out. Get to bed already, dork."

"You should too, Kadet," Leo replied, saluting her as he entered his room. "Night!"

* * *

Karai waited for about two hours before she headed to the surface. She brought everything she needed and owned. She suck into April's apartment and grabbed the belongings she had left there, glad she hadn't woken up the redhead. She rushed to the docks, scanning the area before she put her belongings into a boat that was tied to the pier. She started the boat, beginning her trip to Japan. As she sailed off, she looked back at New York City one last time, looking away before she let her thoughts of returning get the best of her. She said all she wanted to and she left all those she cared about on a good note. She was a little surprised no one had figured out the plan she had made for weeks. Her only regret was the sadness and pain she was sure the turtles, her father, April and Casey would feel when they discovered she was gone. But she felt she had no choice. While she was still around, Shredder would stop at nothing to obtain her and his petty feud would carry out against the Hamato clan. Karai took out an image she had printed out of her with the turtles, April, Casey and her father. She also brought along a copy of the picture of her, Tang Shen, and Hamato Yoshi almost two decades ago.

* * *

When they awoke, the turtles were a bit thrown off when they didn't see Karai. They asked Master Splinter if he had seen her and grew worried when his ears lowered and he shook his head. They called Casey and April, their worries growing when the two said they hadn't seen her. They all met in the lair and planned to search the entire city in hopes to find her. Before they left, Leo found a note wedged under his pillow that had fallen on the floor while he was grabbing his gear. His heart sunk as he stepped out of his room and joined the others.

"We don't have to look for her," Leo said quietly, not taking his eyes off the note. "She's gone."

"What?" Mikey asked. "What do you mean?"

Leo showed the note to them all, looking to the ground as he heard their collected gasps and sharp breaths.

_'Thank you all for what you've done for me. I am truly grateful, and I owe you a debt of gratitude. I repay my debt by leaving the city so that I am no longer a burden on you all. I love you all, and I will never forget you. Don't come looking for me; you'll end up with nothing. It's... just better this way.'_


	24. Another Day, Another Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Heyyo! This might be a bit short, but I hope you all enjoy it!]

They all just stood there in disbelief, silence filling the lair. No one seemed to know how to break the silence, so no one bothered to try. Splinter grabbed the note from Leo's hand, reading it over and over again, like it was just a nightmare he woke up from that had come true. Now with the note out of his hand, Leo took the chance and bolted out of the lair, running before any protests could start. To his surprise, no one called after him. He went to the surface and ran wherever his legs led him. There was no certain place he wanted to be. He just needed to be away.

Mikey, Raph and Donnie collectively dropped their gaze to their feet, not wanting to look at the note anymore. Raph laid a hand on Mikey's shoulder as a comforting gesture, seeing how upset Mikey was by his body language. Mikey shrugged Raph's hand off of his shoulder, turning his head away as Raph looked up at him. Mikey went to the kitchen, came back out with Ice Cream Kitty, then secluded himself in his room. Donnie just walked into his lab, seeing no use to try to console Mikey. If he was as upset as everyone else was, how could he lie through his teeth and say that things would be okay? Raph looked up at his father, seeing that Splinter's eyes were glossy with tears. Raph took a corner of the note and slowly pulled it out of Splinter's hold, relieving him the burden.

April and Casey didn't move for a while. They just stood in silence, trying to grasp what was happening. At one point, April turned and pulled Casey to her, lifting his arms and putting them around her. Casey got the jist and pulled April in his embrace, hugging her tightly. It seemed like it was the only thing that was keeping her together at this point. Casey and Raph exchanged a look. Raph nodded once before Casey pulled away from April and led them both out of the lair. Raph watched as Master Splinter retreated to the dojo, leaving him alone in the pit. Raph knew everyone needed at least some ounce of comfort, but he wasn't sure if he could do it. He swallowed down any doubts. Everyone needed someone strong right now, and Raph seemed to have to be the one.

Mikey had his head under a pillow while Ice Cream Kitty was trying to get his attention. She was rubbing her face against his hand and his cheek, but to little avail. When she saw Raph come in, she meowed softly before turning her attention back to Mikey. Raph sat by Mikey's side, noticing Mikey's posture tensing as he felt the shift in the mattress.

"I don't feel like talking right now," Mikey said, muffled under the pillow.

Raph rubbed Mikey's shell. "You don't need to. Just listen, okay?"

Mikey lifted the pillow up a bit to make sure it was Raph he had heard. He quickly lowered it back over his eyes, sighing deeply. "Okay."

"Listen, little brother, you know we're all really bummed that Karai is gone. I won't be surprised if we suck at missions or start fighting or whatever. But we're gonna make it through this somehow, okay?"

"How do you know that?" Mikey asked. "We finally had her with us, and now she's gone forever."

"We've still got each other," Raph replied. "We still have our friends. We still have Master Splinter. We lost someone, but not everyone."

"Doesn't mean it won't hurt."

"I know that. If you wanna cry, if ya wanna punch something, if ya wanna scream- - we're right here for ya." Raph rose off of the bed. "Shell, we'll join ya." Raph gently rubbed Mikey's head before he head for the door. "Make sure you put Ice Cream Kitty back in the freezer- -she's been meltin' tryna get you to look at her."

* * *

Leo had finally grew tired when he reached an abandoned area. No one seemed to be around at all, not even animals. Leo breathed heavily, not sure why he had stopped here. Did he need to find a place to escape that was so far from home? That couldn't be it. He looked at his T-Phone to check if there were any calls or messages from his family, but there seemed to be none- - probably because there was no reception. He looked around and saw that there were a couple of empty buildings, all boarded up and covered with graffiti. He found himself prying off boards of nailed wood to get inside a small building that looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. ' _Good_ ,' Leo thought. ' _Might just be what I need_.'

He stepped into the building, not wincing as he heard the heavy door he came through slam shut. He observed his surroundings. Some desks with supplies and phones on them, a water station, some papers on the floor, and cubicles. There were some boxes either empty or full of papers or discarded objects that deemed useless. He spotted some wooden boards that seemed to have fallen off their nails and saw some tools and crowbars around- - probably left behind by people who broke in to see if there was anything of value.

Leo saw a movie about a teenager who found himself in an abandoned building and started dancing around furiously as some funky music played in the background. He had just about danced in every inch of the building. For Leo, though, he wouldn't be dancing. He found himself tossing things around, chunking them across the room and watching as they broke, screaming his lungs out, doing angry flips and destroying what was left in the building. No music playing in the background. He understood why the guy had danced around the room- - in his own way.

* * *

Raph approached Donnie's lab, peering in the room for a moment before stepping in. Donnie wasn't sitting in front of his computer like he usually would be. In fact, Raph couldn't see him. He went around the lair, double checking for Donnie, but saw no sign of him. He returned to the lab, breathing out a long exhale as he was about to give up. He tilted his head down and saw in his peripheral vision something move. He turned his head and walked towards it. He crouched down, looking under Donnie's desk. He was a little confused as he saw Donnie just laying on the floor.

"Whatcha doin' on the floor, Don?" Raph asked.

Donnie just shrugged in response. Then, after a few moments, he replied, "It felt appropriate." Raph laid next to him, but not putting his head on the ground. He crossed his arms in front of him and rested his chin on top of them like a pillow. "Spare me the speech, Raph, I heard you talking to Mikey. You know, a talk won't magically make any of us feel less crappy."

"Well, it works for Splinter."

Donnie scoffed. "Master Splinter doesn't have it in him to lie to us right now. He's upset on a level we probably could never understand."

"Doesn't make what we feel less valid."

Donnie finally lifted his face off the floor to look at Raph, his right cheek now feeling all the cool of the floor. "Congratulations, you've gotten my attention."

Raph gave Donnie a not-so-amused look. "Being passive-aggressive doesn't help anything, dork."

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, right now it feels like it's all I can be."

"Geez, and you guys complained when I was cranky," Raph replied. "Believe me, I was glad we finally got Karai away from Shredder and safe with us. It was cool having a sister. She thinks she's protectin' us, that's why she's gone."

"That can't be it. She should have considered that her disappearance will just enrage Shredder even more."

Raph sat up, peering down at Donnie. "Fine. If you're gonna be that way," Raph rose to his feet. "We've all been there, Donnie. We've all thought if we were away, we'd give less danger to the others. Maybe she's protectin' herself. Whatever she's doin', at least she's safe, all right? Just keep that in mind."

As Donnie watched Raph walk away, he felt his throat tighten. "I should have seen it coming, Raph," Donnie said just as Raph took a step out. Raph froze. "I should have known that something was going to happen. I'm... I'm smarter than this."

Raph turned his head to make eye contact with Donnie. "None of us saw it, Don, and we deal with this kind of stuff every week." Raph turned his head back to face forward. "When it comes to family, you never see it comin'."

* * *

Leo was breathless when he was finished annihilating the inanimate objects around him. He has no idea why he feels like the dancing guy. He knew the next time he would speak, he would sound raspy. He wished he hadn't screamed so much- - his throat felt so dry and tense. Was he angry at Karai for leaving? Was he upset that he hadn't seen it coming? Did he blame himself for being so blind to the screaming possibility of what has happened?

One thought that kept clouding his mind- - the people of the dancing guy's town outlawed dancing, and another failed attempt to reconnect the Hamato family- - it was unfair.

* * *

Raph wasn't sure how he was going to talk to Master Splinter. He wasn't sure how a child was supposed to make a parent feel okay after such a tragedy. Sure, he and his brothers had helped Splinter recover from things like mind control by the Rat King and going feral, but that was with his brothers, not just him. It was just him this time. Leo was who knows where, Donnie and Mikey were sulking in seclusion, and April and Casey weren't fit to help, either. They were probably grieving at home themselves. Raph drew in a deep breath, slowly stepping into the dojo.

He slowly slid open Splinter's doors. Splinter, who would usually be sitting or meditating at a time like this, was instead laying on his side, holding an empty photo frame in his hands. Raph felt his brow arch low, feeling empathetic for his father. Master Splinter hadn't realized that someone had came in until Raph said something.

"Father," Raph softly spoke, closing the doors. Instead of asking 'are you okay', which seemed redundant, he asked, "Why is the frame empty?"

"Miwa. She took the photo of Tang Shen, me and herself as an infant with her."

Raph sat behind Master Splinter, his hands in his lap. "It's important to her." With Master Splinter not replying, Raph sighed softly. "Listen, Master Splinter, I'm not sure what to say..." Raph rubbed the back of his neck. "But it's like you always say; we've still got each other. I mean, it probably doesn't help right now, but we know she's safe this way. Safe from Shredder. That's what we've all wanted for her, and now she is."

Master Splinter sat up slowly. He pulled something out of his robe and stuffed it into the frame. Another photo of he, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa. Splinter craned his neck to look at Raph as he set the photo aside. He gave Raph a small but soft smile, his eyes filled with tears. "Raphael."

"Yes?"

"I am so proud of you, my son." Splinter chuckled a bit as he saw Raph's eyes gloss over a bit. "You've grown up to be what I have envisioned you to be, but much better." Splinter laid a hand on top of Raph's knee. "As long as we still are together, as you said, we will be all right."

Raph looked away for a minute, then flung himself in Splinter's embrace. Splinter smiled, petting the top of Raph's head. Raph pulled away, trying to discreetly wipe at his eyes. Raph got up, smiling a bit at his Sensei. "I've gotta wait for Leo now."

Splinter arched a brow. "He has yet to return? Where is he?"

Raph smiled sadly. "Well, doing what the guys complain about me; blowing off steam."

* * *

Meanwhile, it took longer than expected for Karai to reach Japan. She knew it was a long way to go, but she was exhausted by the time she made it. Once she made it onto land, she shook off any exhaustion she felt and started journeying around the country. She had to find him. Once she had, she could finally rest. She wasn't sure how long this journey would take, but she was hoping it would be shorter than her trip just to arrive. She went into a shop and decided to buy some clothes to change into- - once she was satisfied with the new look and the removal of her makeup and ear accessories, she went back out to search. She asked around for what she was looking for.

It took a couple of days to reach there by foot, but it was shorter than getting to Japan, so she didn't mind much. Her blistering feet said otherwise. As she approached the door, she drew in a deep breath as she knocked. With no response at first, she knocked again, but not so lightly as before. Again, no response. She sighed, turning and observing the yard. The grass was green and the tree looked beautiful under the light of the setting sun. The house was pleasant looking and easy on the eye. She knocked once again, hoping for an answer. After a few minutes of waiting, she let out an irritated sound and started walking away. She saw a hotel not too far from where she was, so she would probably sleep there for the night and try again tomorrow.

Just as she turned the corner, she heard rapid footsteps. "Excuse me, lady?"

She craned her neck a bit. "Yes?"

"You were knocking at my door."

She turned to face him. "Yes. You're just now realizing?" Cursing herself for being so spiteful, she drew in a breath. "I'm sorry, I've just come a long way."

The man stroked his chin. "You look familiar. Come. I'll make you something."

Karai was relieved- - and it was showing. She followed the man into his house, taking a seat he offered. He brought her some tea and some noodles for her to eat. He waited for her to finish. He put away her dishes, then sat back across from her. "Tell me, young one, how far did you travel just to see a grumpy old man such as myself?"

"New York," she replied.

His brows raised. Then he chortled. "You weren't kidding." He peered at her, leaning forward a bit. "Either I have not seen you before or it has been a very long time since I last saw you. I don't remember you. How do you know of me?"

"My father told me about you."

"Does your mother know of me as well, or only he?"

Karai darted her eyes away, not replying.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said. "Who is your father?"

"My true father is Hamato Yoshi."

The man's heart skipped a beat. "Yoshi? He sent you alone?"

"He didn't send me- - he doesn't know I'm here."

"Yoshi only ever had one child, but she perished in a fire..." His eyes narrowed for a moment, then they widened. "Saki. He took you and raised you as his own."

Karai was a bit surprised. "How did you know?"

"Yoshi did not return to me with you with him. We assumed you had perished along with Shen." The Ancient One smiled a smile that somehow comforted Karai, like he looked at her like his own child. "Why are you here, Miwa?"

"I don't go by that name."

"What are you called?"

"Karai. But I don't want to go by that name, either. Shredder gave me that name, and I have no intention of having any ties to him whatsoever."

The Ancient One was intrigued. "Fair enough. Well, if you're starting a new life, you should have a name, you know."

She remembered that Splinter had told her that The Ancient One was known to be smug. She was glad he was living up to this. She thought for a moment.

"I know you've come a long way, but I'm really old, you know."

She chuckled, waving him off. She came up with a name. "It's not the best, but I've got one."

"What am I calling you?"

"...Harmony."


	25. Sorry in Advance

Raph finally grew worried about Leo when the time struck past 8 o'clock at night. Leo had been out for a few hours, but he'd usually be back before the sun set whenever he stormed out of the lair. Raph noticed that he was toying with his fingers, so he put his hands at his sides. He marched into Splinter's room and told him he'd be out looking for Leo. Splinter nodded, asking Raph to bring Leo back home safely. Raph said he'd do the best he could and ran out, figuring that Donnie and Mikey had either fallen asleep by then or didn't feel up to the task to fetch Leo with him. Raph tried calling Leo on his T-Phone, but the calls went straight to voicemail. Raph cursed under his breath, running past rooftops and searching for Leo.

Raph stopped to catch his breath at an unfamiliar stop. If Leo wasn't around where they usually patrolled the city, Raph figured he'd have to be in the abandoned areas. Raph's head shot up when he saw a figure stepping out from a building that looked to be on the verge of collapsing, focusing on it. He squinted his eyes and saw the familiar outline of sheathed swords and stood up straight. Raph looked down at his T-Phone, seeing that where ever they were, it had crappy reception. Raph waited until Leo went around a bend to start trailing behind his brother.

Before Leo could turn the corner into a somewhat occupied area, Raph narrowed his eyes and lunged at Leo from the side, pushing them both into an alley. Leo was so caught off-guard, he didn't have the advantage of pulling out his katanas. He was so caught up with his thoughts. Leo was about to bend his legs and stretch them out to push the opponent off of him when he caught a glimpse of a red mask tail flailing in the weak wind breeze. Leo instead breathed heavily, shutting his eyes and turning his head to the side. He should have known it was late. He should have known by that time, his family would be worried about him.

Raph noticed Leo's surrender and got off of him, offering a hand down to him. Leo opened his eyes and looked at Raph's hand, lamely lifting his hand up and grabbing onto Raph's. Raph pulled him up to his feet, finally noticing how haggard Leo looked. They didn't say a word as they ran rooftops on the way home. It was when they were halfway home when Leo asked Raph something.

"How are they holding up?" Leo asked, his voice sounding strained and scratchy.

Raph eyed Leo for a moment before he turned his attention forward. "About as well as you."

Leo chuckled sadly at that. "Go figure. What about April and Casey? Are they still there?"

Raph shook his head. "Casey and I figured it was better if they went home."

Leo nodded his head in understanding, diverting his attention forward.

"Y'know, it ain't just you," Raph said as they could see a manhole cover with barely activity in the streets. "We all miss her."

"I know that," Leo said, a little too defensively.

"Ya can't just bolt out like that and disappear. We need ya."

Leo scoffed. "Like I'll be a big help. I'm just moping around and acting distant, probably. It'll happen. I just know it. And I'll be so deep in that I won't be able to tell myself that it's not just me. Even you guys telling me might not work. I'm gonna be a pain in the ass, Raph."

Now it was Raph's turn to scoff. "Y'think I don't know that already? All of ya are when you're mopey. You aren't the only one who's gonna be angsty and shit. But we're family, so I gotta put up with it."

Leo glanced at Raph for a second. "You don't have to. Just because we're family doesn't mean you have to." Leo looked straight ahead. "That doesn't sound like a normal thing for a family to do."

"What family is normal, Leo." Raph sighed. "I didn't mean to make it sound like that. I meant that even if it's gonna be a pain, I'ma put up with it because I love ya guys. I can't bolt when ya guys are like this. If I did, we probably could never fix that problem. We'll always point fingers at each other if I did- - if any of us did."

They hopped down and crouched over the manhole, pulling the cover off. Raph went down first, stopping midway to wait for Leo. Leo looked down at Raph, carefully stepping on the ladder. "Raph."

"Yeah."

"Sorry, in advance, for how I'll be."

Raph shrugged, giving Leo a side smile. "Eh. Let's see how bad it'll be, then I'll tell ya what I think."

* * *

"Harmony, time to wake up!"

It was the first official day of her new life. She still hadn't had enough time to process it.

"Harmony, rise and shine!"

She didn't know how long it would take to get used to her new life.

"I'm getting a bit impatient; time to get up."

She couldn't. She shouldn't. She missed her old life already.

She felt a sudden wind of cold blow on her body. Her eyes shot open, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Was she on the streets again? Maybe reaching Japan was just one big dream. Maybe living with April and reuniting with the turtles and her father was just one big dream that mocked her. Maybe she was still a prisoner to Shredder. How stupid, she thought, she was for thinking she could ever escape him.

"You made me do this; Miwa, wake up already!"

"My name's Harmony!" She yelled back, her eyes narrowed down. She was surprised when she saw the Ancient One in front of her. So it wasn't a dream. She really had made it.

The Ancient One noticed her genuine surprise and look of confusion. He gave her a pity smile. "It will take a while to adjust; this isn't going to be easy."

Harmony looked at her surroundings and started to calm down. "Ssorry. I didn't mean to yell."

The Ancient One raised a brow. "Don't worry about it, child. Now get up, I made food, which I don't do a lot. Hurry, it's getting cold."

Harmony nodded, slipping out of her bed and following him. He had prepared some noodles with boiled eggs and a glass of water on the side. She noticed it was on a kotatsu and smiled at the thought of warmth. She happily sat down and put her legs under the table, eating as warmth spread throughout her body.

"I'm ssorry in advancce of how I act," Harmony spoke. "I know I'm going to be a pain."

The Ancient One waved her off. "Oh, don't worry, I've dealt with teenagers before. I know how they act." Harmony chuckled at that, shaking her head and starting to eat. "So, any plans today?" he asked.

Harmony looked up from her bowl, a stumped look on her face. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Iss there anything worth sseeing?"

"The scenery is always nice to look at," he replied. "But I'm not sure if you're one to look at scenery for the sake of it."

Harmony tensed up a bit. "I could learn- - I'm living a new life, after all."

"True, but it's important you don't stray far from who you are. Which brings up the topic of training. You're skilled in ninjitsu, am I right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, you can't drop it. It's become a part of you. A kunoichi, correct?"

"Yeah, but- -"

"I'm an old man. I've had years of training. Yoshi knows much about ninjitsu, but I know much more. Would you like me to teach you?"

Harmony was stunned. "Sso sstraightforward."

"Like I said, I'm old. So? What do you think?"

"Okay," Harmony replied. "Yeah. I want to learn more. I need to think differently from before. I wass sso caught up on taking out Shredder, but I can't have that kind of mindsset anymore."

"Then it's settled. We'll start tomorrow. But be ready. My methods of teaching are... different... from what you've experienced."

"I can handle it."

The Ancient One laughed. "Ah, you're funny. We'll see about that. But for today, you should go out and see what interests you. Buy some new clothing, some new makeup, whatever it is you like. Whatever you think will help you start your new life." Before he could head out the door, he looked back at her. "Are you sure you don't want to send a message to your loved ones?"

"No. I can't let them know where I am. They shouldn't have to worry about me. It'ss my life. They're better off without me. It'ss for the besst."

"All right, I get it. But, did you always speak like that or is my hearing acting up?"

"Like what?"

"With a lisp."

Harmony's face grew warm. "I don't have a lissp."

The Ancient One raised a brow before leaving. "If you say so."


	26. Partly Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: So this is going to be about 4 months after the last chapter. It's a bit confusing, I know. This chapter is going to be centered about Harmony mostly. We'll get back to the boys in the next chapter, don't worry! I hope you enjoy it!]

The season is autumn. It's been a few months since Harmony has came to Japan to start her new life. Training with the Ancient One has been strenuous but progressive work. She's learned many lessons and new techniques in her new training, which all come in handy. She's gotten to know some of the people in town and has started hanging with an old friend she had when she used to live in another part of Japan with Shredder. But one thing has been bugging her since the first day she started to live her new life.

* * *

_"Did you always speak like that or is my hearing acting up?"_

_"Like what?"_

_"With a lisp."_

* * *

Those three words have stuck to her mind. She had become a bit paranoid since then. Donatello had given her retromutagen. She wasn't a mutant snake anymore. She hadn't been for a while, so why was she so worried about it? She couldn't talk about it openly either, since she hadn't yet told the Ancient One about her mutation. She hadn't planned to; she had hoped that she could put it in the past. That was her ultimate goal: to keep the past in the past where it belonged.

"Something troubling you?"

Her mind snapped back to now. "No, I was just thinking." Ever since he had pointed out the lisp, she has tried her best to stop it. Most times she would succeed, but sometimes it would slip. "Are you going out?"

"Just going to get more food. You're the reason I have to walk more, you know." The Ancient One smiled at her.

Harmony smiled back. "Yeah, well, you need it." When she was starting to feel more comfortable, she had accidentally retorted at one of his jokes. Instead of being offended, he laughed and shot another tease at her. Since then, they've mutually thrown friendly insults at each other. She looked at the Ancient One as a sort of estranged uncle, despite his old age. "When will you be back?"

"I may be old, but I can take care of myself," he replied. "It's a nice day. Why don't you get out of the house already? Go play with that new friend of yours?"

"I'm not a baby; I don't 'play.' I'll call up my 'new friend' right now if you want me out so badly."

"Finally," The Ancient One replied long and drolly. "Will they feed you or do you want me to make something when you get back?"

"Hmm, your cooking is the best, so..."

"Oh, flattery! That's a new one. Fine, fine, I'll make you something. But don't come back late. I have a lot of training for you tomorrow."

"Okay, see ya, old man," Harmony said as he went out the door. He rolled his eyes at her as he left, smiling as she stuck her tongue out at him. When he closed the door, she stuck her tongue out again, her heart beating a bit fast. She wasn't sure if it was her paranoia or not, but she could have sworn that her tongue was a bit longer than normal. She shook the thought out of her mind before she could think about it more and reached for her phone. "Hey, you busy?"

"Not right now. Miss me already?"

"I was just about to ask you the ssame thing."

"Come over here already! Teasing won't help matters at all."

"Fine, since you begged," Harmony replied, smiling as she heard a sigh on the other line. "I'll be there in a bit."

It didn't take long to meet up with her friend. They always hung out around empty areas, which was hard to find. They always managed to somehow. Harmony smiled as she approached the figure. "You didn't wait too long, did you?"

The figure turned around, a smile on their face. They waved Harmony off. "Well, what matters is that you're here."

"I know; you looked bored out of your mind," Harmony replied. "I know I keep saying this, but I really missed you, Shini."

"Oh, I know," Shinigami replied, tossing her hair to the side. "Still can't believe what happened to you, though."

Harmony shrugged it off. "Where are you taking me today?"

"There's an abandoned complex on the other side of town. Figured you'd want to go practice over there."

"Why?"

"If we break something, nobody will miss it," Shini replied. "Besides. I like breaking things anyways, and you need to do it with me, if only once. Please? For old times."

"Fine, jeesh," Harmony replied, smiling. "Just lead the way. You don't have to practice with me, you know."

"It's fun, though, seeing what you know and what you don't know. It makes me feel superior when you don't know something I do."

"Shut it, Shini," Harmony replied, elbowing her playfully. "Let's go already. And don't feed me; AO's going to."

"All right, but don't expect me to give you a bite of anything when you get hungry."

They walked to the other side of town, not phased when they got looks from passersby. Harmony had changed up her style of black attire to black and red. She had on a red shirt and red leggings with a black belt on her waist. She had some black sneakers to compliment the outfit. She contemplated whether to ditch her ear piercings or not but she stuck with it. There was some things of her past she couldn't let go. Her style of makeup hadn't changed much, except leaving out the red liquid eyeliner she used to wear back in New York. Instead she stuck with the black eyeliner and wings at the sides. Shinigami had given her some red lipstick to put on. Harmony had also decided to grow her hair out. It was a bit past her shoulders by now, and she liked the feeling of her hair flowing down.

Shinigami had on a black hooded corset with some black leggings to go with it. She stuck with the color of black for that day. Black knee high boots, black lipstick and eyeliner. She rustled the lower part of her hair a bit to give it a look of volume. She occasionally brushed her hand through her hair and had parted it on the left. She grabbed Harmony's hand and led her towards an empty looking lot.

"You're going to love it," Shinigami had said before two men appeared before them. She quickly stepped in front of Harmony. "Well, we could still have fun digging these fine men into their graves."

"Where you two ladies heading?" One of the men asked. "Come with us instead. We'll all have some fun."

Harmony curled her lip in disgust. "You wish."

"She's snappy. I like her," the second one replied. "Dibs on her."

Shinigami narrowed her eyes. "It'd be best if you got out of our way, boys."

"What are you two gonna do about it?" The first one asked, sounding amused. "Scratch us with your nails?"

The second one came up from behind Harmony, grabbing her wrists. Harmony writhed, trying to get out of his grip. "Get your hands off of me!"

"Harmony!" Shinigami yelled, now growing angry. "Fine. You asked for it." She lunged for the first man, taking him by surprise.

"Shini!" Harmony yelled as she felt the second man starting to pull her away. She hated being helpless. She felt something inside of her twist, and she felt a pain in her legs that soon spread throughout her body. "I ssaid get your handss off of me, you asshat!"

"Don't do anything you'll regret, girlie," the man replied, gripping onto her tighter.

Harmony growled, feeling an urge to bite the man. Before she could think against it, she turned her body around and sunk her teeth into the man's right arm. He hissed, his arm retreating in pain. He pushed her to the ground harshly, his fists gripped. "You're dead."

Harmony writhed on the ground, managing to get on her hands and knees. Her fingers dug into the ground as she felt the pain fade into something else. Her eyes widened in fear and surprise. ' _No_ , she thought, _I got past this! This can't be happening!_ ' She already knew what was happening before it happened. Her legs combined into one, her arms grew longer, her body shape-shifted into a slim stature, and her face grew long. She thanked the heavens that where they were provided very little light. The men wouldn't remember their faces and couldn't see what she was. She couldn't hold back the hiss.

"There's a snake?" The first one asked, giving Shini a chance to punch him in the gut. He fell to the ground. Shini got up, searching the ground.

"Harmony? Are you okay?" After not hearing anything, she grew worried. "MiMi, answer me!" Shini heard the second man yell in pain and collapse to the ground. Before she could handle the first man, he screamed and cursed under his breath. His breathing sounded ragged, and Shini became defensive. "Whoever you are, show yourself, you coward!" Shini felt something wrap around her waist and grab her. Then she and whoever was holding her bolted away from the men and towards the abandoned complex. When they got inside, the figure set her down. "All right, you've got me. Now what are you going to try to do with me? Who are you?"

"Jusst... don't attack me."

Shinigami straightened her posture. "Harmony? I won't attack you; you could have just told me it was you. You really scared me for a minute."

"Yeah, well."

"What's wrong? Did that guy hurt you?" Shini asked, her voice sounding edged and harsh. "If I ever see him again, I'll- -"

"No, I took care of him."

"Then what's wrong? Why are you hiding in the shadows? Just come out. I won't bite."

Harmony shut her eyes tightly. "But I might." She hadn't told Shinigami about her mutation. No one knew.

"You're not making any sense, MiMi."

Harmony sighed as she slithered out. She didn't dare to look directly at her friend as she showed her snake mutation form. Shinigami's eyes widened a bit, and she looked her up and down. The surprise out of her system, she took a step towards her friend and propped her arm on Harmony's shoulder. "Well, this is a whole other side of you I've never seen, MiMi."

Harmony was a bit surprised. She expected Shinigami to maybe request time to process it or simply leave her. She felt guilty for thinking that way, but she couldn't help it. Shinigami had probably never seen a mutant until now. "I thought thisss was over," Harmony said, finally looking at Shinigami. "I thought I wouldn't have to deal with thisss ever again."

Shini gave her a sad look, but smiled. "Your past is a part of you. Does AO know?"

"No. Only you know."

"What if it randomly happens again? I hate to be that person, but you have to tell him. What if this happens when he's just walking in and he tries to attack you? It won't be too pretty." She took a step back from Harmony. "Can you... change back? Or do you not know how?"

"I don't know," Harmony replied. "I'll try, I guess." She slithered away from Shinigami, focusing on changing back to her normal form. It took a few minutes, but she managed to turn back. It took a few more minutes to get her snake arms, fangs and pale white skin to go away. She turned to Shini when it was over and sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to explain."

"No doubt," Shini replied. "You know I love to hear the juicy details. Indulge me."

So Harmony told her. She didn't bother to look at Shini's face; she knew the looks Shini would have: horrified, pitiful, angry, disgusted, surprised. She didn't leave anything out. From when she dropped into the vat to when she stayed with April, she told her everything. She make Shini swear to keep it to herself and not to tell The Ancient One before she could. Shini agreed. Harmony was so afraid of her past ruining her chances of living a new life. If this part of the past could catch her out of the blue, she knew anything could. All it took was a matter of time.

After Harmony was done, Shini stood up. "Well, you can use that to your advantage, MiMi."

"How's that? Having people want to kill me because I'm a giant snake?"

"So dark of you, Harmony. Not that. If AO is cool with it, he'll help you train in your human form and with your mutant form. He'll help you learn to live with it and how to control it. He's a laid back old man."

"People have their limits, though."

"Just see what happens. If he won't take you in after telling him, you've always got me."

* * *

Harmony stepped in the house, looking around. Last time she checked the time, it was about 8:30 at night. She saw that the light to the kitchen was on, so she walked in there. On the kotatsu was a bowl of dumplings that looked warm enough to eat without having to heat it up again. Instead of eating it, she searched for the Ancient One. Before she could go back to the kitchen, he appeared in front of her, startling her.

"Gah- - don't do that," Harmony mumbled, catching her breath. "Where were you? I looked around the house."

"I was in the bathroom- - don't go in there for a few minutes."

Harmony turned her head in disgust, then laughing a bit. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Listen, I need to tell you something."

"Tell me after you eat- - and no offense, but you look awful."

"How's that?"

"Well, you're dirty and look exhausted. Did someone try to hurt you?"

Harmony hesitated for a moment. "I'll tell you after I eat."

The Ancient One narrowed his eyes for a moment, then made an approving sound. "Fine. You better clean yourself up after you tell me, though." So they sat in silence as Harmony ate. When she finished, she pushed her plate aside and sighed, using the warmth to help her prepare to tell him. She looked him in the eyes. "Look, I get it if you don't want me around after I tell you what I want to tell you. I won't hate you or anything."

The Ancient One scowled. "Never a good start."

Harmony smiled weakly. "It's just, um, weird. You've probably never encountered something like it before. And I know you're old, but this is fairly new."

"Is it a trend?"

"God, no. If it was I'd question humanity."

"What is it then?"

"It's... better if I show you, maybe." Harmony stood up, waving her hand. "Follow me." They went outside in the back. Harmony looked around to ensure that no one was around to see what was about to transpire. She sat herself on the grass, hoping she could be able to transform. She felt the pain surge throughout her body and bit back the hiss as she transformed, at first hesitating to show herself. She stood tall and slithered her way into the light a bit. She caught a glimpse of the Ancient One's face. "If it'ss too much, I'll go. Don't worry."

"Who did this to you?"

"...Shredder. It was meant for ssomeone else, but he ussed me as bait, and bait I wass. I fell into the trap he made for the otherss, and he thought it was their fault when it wass his."

The Ancient One nodded. "Saki always was one to blame someone for his mistakes."

"...you're not horrified?"

"Well," The Ancient One shrugged. "I can deal with it. As long as you don't go around like that and try to have yourself killed."

"Really?"

"Are snakes hard of hearing or do you want me to repeat myself?"

Harmony smiled, then focused on transforming into her human form. "You're actually going to let me stay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm the best old man in the world, yada yada yada. Let's go inside. I'm tired from all that walking you make me do." As they walked inside, he turned to her before they parted to go to their rooms. "You reminded me of Shen."

Harmony froze. "What?"

"Whenever she didn't expect something, she'd always need confirmation more than once. She'd have this happy and confused look on her face- - you have the same look." The Ancient One smiled. "She'd be so proud of you, you know."

Harmony looked away. "Even as a mutant?"

"Even as a mutant, yes," The Ancient One replied. "Tomorrow's training is going to be so long- - what other surprises do you have? You just doubled the training time; might as well tell me more so I can know how long training will be for now on."

Harmony rolled her eyes. "I'm fresh out of surprises right now."

"Ah, you'll have some more for me, I'm sure. Now go wash up." Now he rolled his eyes. "Teenagers. Always so random."

"If you didn't have me around, you'd have no one to complain to," Harmony replied, smiling.

"Yes, well, same goes to you. Oh, and you'll have to tell me who tried to hurt you so I can make sure they know who they're up against."

"What am I, your kid?"

"That's up to you. Either way, I'm the cool old man."

Harmony showered and put on a comfortable change of clothes. She crawled into bed, looking out the window before she turned to face the wall. Before, all it took to snap her out of her mind when she was out of control was hear or see Leonardo. Now that he wasn't around, she didn't know what would snap her out of it if she started losing her mind again. The retromutagen Donatello had made must have worked only partly. She was still a mutant, but her mind hadn't lost control. She was hoping it would stay that way. She didn't want to rely on the past when there was no way to go back to it on a good note.

She couldn't rely on family. She couldn't.

All she could rely on was tomorrow.


	27. Too Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: There's a reference to 2003 in this chapter, just a heads up in case you think something seems familiar~ Hope you enjoy!]

It had been 4 months since Karai left. 4 months of uncertainty is what the Hamato family has had to live with. Word had reached Shredder that Karai was nowhere to be seen and was believed to be taken to a secret location by the turtles where they couldn't locate her. Shredder had relentlessly sent the Foot members to practically tear the city apart until they found her and to lay siege on the Hamato clan, find out where she was being hidden and kill them whether they told or not. For 4 months, the Hamato and the Foot clan were at war once again. Breaks seemed to be such a luxury. 4 months, tensions and buried emotions have been growing.

As predicted, Leo became brooding and distant. It was no secret that it was irritating the shell out of his brothers. They had told Leo countless times that it wasn't just him who was grieving and missed Karai. Leo would either ignore them or bark something harsh and storm off into his room. Master Splinter had tried to get this into Leo's head as well, but it didn't seem to be getting through to the terrapin. Patrols were silent. Training was silent. Leo only spoke if he saw that it was necessary. Some days, he would manage to get it through his head that he wasn't the only one grieving and would be nice and dorky like his usual self. On those days, the turtles both loved yet grieved it, for they knew it was only temporary.

* * *

Another night, another patrol. The turtles went all over the city and scanned for any signs of the Foot. Some days it was easy to find them, other days not so much. The turtles had managed to find where the Foot were and went full on stealth mode, taking them by surprise. Before they could advance, the voice of Shredder stopped them in their tracks. They saw him come out of a dark corner of the building. It was dim, but he was glowing green. Shredder had revealed that he had mutated himself so he could eliminate the turtles in more ways than one.

"Tell me where Karai is and I will make your ends quick."

"For the last time, we don't know where she is!" Raph yelled, annoyed. "I'm pretty sure you can hear out of your tin can."

"You dare lie to me? You four are lucky to still be standing where you are."

"How do we know you're not hiding her or kidnapped her or something?" Mikey asked. It was his go-to question now when Shredder brought up any question about Karai and where she was.

"Master Shredder wouldn't ask if he had her, you idiot," Rahzar replied.

"I don't know," Donnie replied. "Shredder's not one to be so straightforward. He's full of surprises."

"More like full of shit," Raph mumbled under his breath.

"Tell me where my daughter is. Now."

That sent Leo off. He charged directly at Shredder, his katanas connecting with the gauntlet on Shredder's arm. "She is not your daughter!" Leo spat, glaring at him. "You kidnapped her and manipulated her from the day you took her!"

Now everyone was battling. The turtles lost count on how many Footbots they took down. Shredder managed to capture each of the turtles and almost escape with them, but they always were set free by the others. Shredder and Leo always went after each other, determined to take the other out. Whichever one of them fell, so would their clan, and they both knew it. Leo didn't see any reason to not end Shredder's life other than the fact that a life would be on his hands. Even with that thought in his head, he didn't care. To Shredder, it would be another claim that he was not one to be taken down.

It seemed that the turtles having to take out countless Footbots were finally starting to wear them out a bit. Shredder and the Foot started to gain the upper hand, and the turtles were trying to find ways to escape. A sudden flash and clouds of smoke were their salvation, as it provided them time to start escaping. Up above they saw two figures, who they already knew was Casey and April. The turtles leaped up to meet them and serve as a wall to protect them as they started to leave. Leo, not satisfied, threw down a smoke bomb that would temporarily blind the Foot and put them to sleep. Hearing thuds as they left, Leo allowed himself to smile for a second.

Far away enough from the scene, the seven teens stopped to catch their breaths. April straightened up her back, glowering at Leo once again. "You didn't forget. I know you didn't. You just didn't care to."

Leo showed no signs of faltering under April's hard glare. "It was too intense of a battle for you two to be involved in. We thank you for getting us out of there." Leo turned to start leaving, but felt April's hand grip tightly around his wrist. He was about to yank his arm out of her hold when she pulled down on his arm and forced him to face her. He faltered slightly, then regained his composure. "Let me go."

"No. Just because you're the leader and you're angry doesn't mean you can do whatever the hell you want. It's not just you. It's all of us. For your sake and ours, next time, just pick up the phone and call us so we can go with you. You can't do this forever."

"I know my limits." Leo pulled his arm out of her hand. "Again, thank you."

Casey growled, his fists shaking as Leo started to walk away. "Stop acting like a piss baby, dude!" Casey yelled. They all froze and looked at him. Though Leo froze, he didn't turn around. "We're all still upset that Karai left. It's not just you, bro. When are ya gonna stop acting like it's you against the world? The way you're actin', pretty soon you'll have to live with it because it'll happen."

Leo finally turned around. "What, you think I'm going to abandon you all?" Leo asked, sounding offended.

"How should I know? You're not the same. I'm pretty sure it's stupid of me to be yellin' at ya about this, but guess I'm the one that has to. Eventually we might leave you 'cause of how you're treating us. Maybe something you do costs us our lives. Maybe something you do lets Shredder and the Foot take over the city. Ever think of that? What you do affects us." Casey shoved his hands in his pockets. "Keep that in your head next time ya wanna try doing something stupid."

Leo's hard stare never softened. He looked to the others, who looked a bit uncomfortable. "Go ahead," Leo said a bit loudly. "You might as well tell me what you think of me now before I go."

Surprisingly, it was Mikey who went first. "I got used to you guys making fun of me and slapping me around. But you always yelling at me or ignoring me is way worse. You even do it to Sensei." Mikey crossed his arms over his chest. "Dude, I know you liked her a lot and whatever, but we miss her too. Sometimes I think that I'll never have my brother back again. You don't even seem like my brother. You're like a scary dude that I'm forced to listen to just 'cause you have authority and I'm too scared to object."

Leo felt his chest grow heavy, and finally some sign of humanity showed on his face. His hard glare turned into a slightly hurt look. He drew in a shaky breath as he looked to the others. He saw Donnie step up.

"Leo, we love you, but Mikey is right. It's like if we did try to tell you our concerns, you'd lash out at us. And I know it sucks to hear it as much as it sucks to tell you this but sometimes I don't think I can deal with it. It reminds me of all the rough times I went through and I have to try my best not to let my grief and regret take over me like it has with you." Donnie looked away. "I'm sorry."

Leo looked to Raph, who looked really upset but tried covering it up with a hard look.

"Honestly, I don't see the point in tellin' ya these things anymore." Raph only glanced at Leo before he looked down.

Leo pursed his lips and drew in another shaky breath, simply nodding his head. He clenched one of his fists, waited until it he was holding it so tightly that his arm shook, and released his grip and felt the odd rushing of blood flowing through his hand again. Raph's comment hurt. Donnie comment hurt. Mikey's comment hurt. April and Casey weren't afraid of laying the truth on him. He started walking off.

"You're not even gonna say anything?" Casey asked in disbelief.

Leo paused for thought. "I'll see you at home," Leo replied, jumping off the building. He walked a couple of blocks until he felt that he couldn't be seen anymore, then started running. He waited until his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest before he stopped near the closest manhole. He removed it and stumbled down the ladder, closing the manhole. He stopped and waited until his legs felt okay enough to walk back to the lair. He was surprised to find that he was the first one to come home. He poked his head in the dojo, staying silent and listening for the sound of Splinter either meditating or sleeping. When he heard deep, even breathing, Leo walked to his room, knowing that no one was awake to hear him. He locked his door, sat himself on the floor, grabbed a pillow, and waited until he felt that the pressure behind his eyes couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Not only did he learn his brothers and friends true thoughts, but he learned that he knew what he finally felt for the past 4 months: self-disgust.

* * *

The six teens sat themselves on the roof, feeling utterly drained. They were silent. Speaking seemed very inappropriate in that long moment. Mikey sighed, rubbing his upper arm. Donnie laid his head in his hands, pressing his palms against his eyes until he saw colors. Raph locked his hands together and slid them to the back of his head. Casey let his chin rest in his hand. April locked her hands together and set them in her lap. Though telling Leo was necessary, it didn't mean it hurt to tell him.

Mikey was the first to break the silence. "I know I sound stupid for saying it, but I... kinda feel bad."

Donnie sighed. "Same here. But we had to. It was the only time he would actually listen."

Raph looked to his brothers. "Did you guys really mean what ya said to him?" Raph knew their answers, but he needed verbal confirmation just to fully believe it. They nodded, looking away. "Man."

"I knew Leo was gonna get all angry and stuff, but I didn't think it'd be this bad, y'know?" Mikey said. "It's weird to say but I liked it better when Leo lectured me and stuff 'cause then I knew he cared about me."

"He still cares about ya," Raph replied. "He's just..."

"The only thing that got me really annoyed is when he said we couldn't understand what he was going through," Donnie interrupted. "I mean, we've seen so many things. We've lost Karai more than once. We never knew if we were gonna see her again or know if she was safe. We have our own personal losses and tough times." Donnie sighed. "Metalhead. Timothy."

Raph rubbed the back of his neck. "The whole Spike thing," Raph added. "Zog."

"We lost Master Splinter at one point, we saw what happened to Tang Shen," Mikey said, breathing in deeply.

"My dad," April said. "I always get scared that he'll be kidnapped or mutated again."

"My family when we were at the farm house and in space," Casey spoke. "It sucked."

"Do you think we'll ever get Leo back?" Mikey asked. "Do you think it's too late, that there's already a rift?"

"We're not gonna stop 'til we do," Raph replied. "Either that or we lose him."

"Let's just hope it's not too late," Donnie said.

Casey shuffled his feet. "Sorry if things are weirder tomorrow," Casey said.

"Nah," Raph replied. "You and your big mouth were right to talk for once." Raph and Casey smiled briefly. Raph looked to April, seeing that she looked troubled. "April?"

"Knowing Leo, he might be harder on himself and act more distant because of what we told him."

"We told him the truth," Casey replied. "He had to hear it, Red."

"I know he did," April replied. "But Leo used to want to always be at his best. Hearing what we said... it might make things worse."

Casey sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Great."

"What?"

"You jinxed it."

* * *

Master Splinter called for them to come into the dojo to get ready for training the next morning. Casey and April had been called in as well. The two teens were getting training that was harsh but crucial to learn for future encounters with the Foot. No one knew of how Leo spent his time apart from the others last night. They thought he went off to go blow off steam. No one knew that he had released all his emotions to the point of putting himself to sleep. Not even Splinter knew. Splinter had them spar in pairs, then had them practice moves until they executed them well, then had each of them spar against him.

During the one-on-ones, Leo was stuck in his thoughts. Now he knew everyone's thoughts of him, and it was haunting him. No, it was the karma that was waiting to bite back at him. It was slowly crumbling him down. He couldn't even look at any of them during sparring and practicing moves. He was a disappointment to them and to himself. All his life he wanted to be the best for them and he learned that he was just bringing them down and was on the edge of losing them with the way he was acting. He contemplated a lot of things last night. He was shaken from his thoughts from a gentle shake on his shoulder. He tensed up, snapping back into reality. He didn't look up to see who shook his shoulder. He didn't deserve to look at people who were better than him.

"It's your turn, Leo," Donnie whispered, looking at Leo. He noticed that Leo didn't even glance in his direction. "Leo?"

Leo nodded, standing up. Master Splinter noticed that Leo hadn't looked up to meet his gaze and called him out on it. Leo didn't do anything about it at first. Master Splinter raised his voice just a bit, instantly becoming concerned when Leo flinched. He looked to the others. "You all are dismissed. Leonardo and I will remain here."

They all bowed and nodded, heading out. They all looked back for a moment, seeing that Leo was still staring at the ground.

"Leo?" Raph said. Seconds passed and Leo didn't reply. "Hey, um, you'll do great." Leo only nodded. Raph thought Leo was acting cold towards them and sighed. "C'mon. We should head out," Raph said to the others, leading them out. Leo waited until he heard their steps descend far enough when he finally lifted his head up and looked at Master Splinter. He quickly looked away.

"My son, what troubles you?" Master Splinter asked.

Leo unsheathed his swords, sighing deeply. He smiled, but it held no intention of what a smile should. "What doesn't?"

Master Splinter, his worry growing, pressed lightly on the tips of Leo's blades and pushed them down. "Leonardo, I feel we should discuss this matter and put off training for now."

"No, I need to get better," Leo replied, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I need to do better."

"You have trained tirelessly for months, my son," Master Splinter replied. "After we talk, we will train."

"Can't we do it at the same time? It would be easier and you could have everyone back in here in no time."

Master Splinter was unsure of this. "I think it unwise."

"Please," Leo replied quickly. "Please." He said it much more gentle and soft than before. "I need to get better."

Master Splinter faltered for a moment, then nodded. He was still very unsure. Something about it made him feel like something bad was going to happen. Leo lifted his katanas back up. Master Splinter stood in his usual upright stance, waiting for Leo to advance. Leo took a moment to gather his breathing, then advanced. His attacks seemed effortless, which was not in Leo's nature. "Leonardo, your attacks are nothing."

Leo felt his heart skip a beat. "What?"

"You put no effort into your attacks. Fighting must come with all your effort. You know this."

"Oh, right." Leo gathered some of his composure, striking at Splinter with effort.

"Good. Leonardo, I know you are upset about Miwa leaving us," Master Splinter said, leaning to the side as Leo thrust his sword towards him. "We all are grieving, Leonardo. Your brothers, Casey and April have told you this many times."

"I know," Leo mumbled, trying to strike from above, but to no avail.

"I think not," Splinter replied, easily dodging Leo's move. "You hold so much anger in you. Miwa leaving was nothing you could have prevented. There is no reason for you to be upset with yourself."

Leo hardened, his grip on his hilt tightening. He struck at Splinter, getting more precise with his attacks. Once again, he missed.

"You have not been yourself." Master Splinter dodged another attack. He notices that Leo is now serious.

"I know that," Leo replied defensively.

"You must release what festers in you." Splinter goes to grab a sword. Leo's attacks are very precise and could prove mortal. He shouldn't have agreed. "You must be open. Your family will help you along the way."

"You want me to be open?" Leo asked. He charged towards Splinter, their blades making contact very loudly. "Have I not been?"

"You are distant. You show no care for anything." They battle for the upper hand as they struggle against each other's blades. Splinter uses his upper strength and pushes Leo's katana down, pushing him away.

"You're wrong!" Leo yelled. His strikes have so much anger in every one. "I care for my family, my friends. You can't tell me what I feel!"

"If you say you care, you are failing to show it," Master Splinter replied coolly. "This is not the son I remember."

Leo thought that Master Splinter wasn't hearing him out. Instead of trying to get him to, he grew cold. "Forget it. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Splinter asked, blocking every strike Leo made.

"Yes, I'm fine!" Leo replied.

"You should not blame yourself for what happened to Miwa."

"I don't."

"You're sure."

"Yes! Maybe it's because I'm a teenager, but she's not the only thing on my mind if that's what you're thinking, Sensei." Leo struck at Splinter, almost gaining the upper hand. "The son you remember wouldn't have that mindset, would he."

"You're growing malicious, Leonardo."

"So you think I'm terrible too!" Leo cried, his throat feeling tight. He struck at Splinter's blade with such force, Splinter's blade snapped in half. "No matter what I do, my family and friends look at me as if I'm some horrible person. Well maybe I- -" Leo gripped both hands on the hilt. "- - should fit- -" He raised the sword, all his anger into the strike. "- - the picture!" Before he could register what he was about to do, his arms swung. He didn't hear his blade glide through the air like it had been. It had made contact. He looked down and instantly gasped, dropping his sword. Master Splinter hissed, reached the top of his head, looked down at his red hand, then up at Leo. The others, hearing Master Splinter's hiss, rushed in. They all ran to Master Splinter's side.

"Master Splinter!" Donnie yelped, examining the top of his head. April looked over it along with him, then rushed to Donnie's lab to get the First Aid kit.

"Sensei, are you okay? How does your head feel?" Mikey asked, clinging onto Splinter's arm like a child afraid to get lost. Mikey, Casey and Donnie helped him up on his feet.

Raph looked over Splinter, then met Leo's gaze. "Leo, what the shell is your problem?" Raph barked.

Leo pushed past Raph and his brothers. "Master Splinter, I'm so sorry," Leo said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know what happened, I just- - I... I lost control."

* * *

Leo secluded himself in his room. If he thought he felt low before, he was deep in an abyss now. He knew no one would come to check on him. Why would they anyways? He was horrible. Terrible. Despicable. He wanted to cry, but he did that last night, and it felt like he had no tears left. At least if he cried, he would be focused on his crying rather than replaying the moment over and over again. He had shoved his katanas under his bed to where he couldn't see them. The swords he's come to love and rely on had hurt one of the most important people in his life. They didn't carry out the action, though. He felt he was sparing his weapons from being in the hands of someone so unworthy. _If weapons had emotions_ , he thought, _I wouldn't blame them_.

He sat in the middle of the floor again. He removed all his gear and tore off his mask. New negative thoughts clouded his mind. _Now there's a rift between my family and me. If they didn't have reason enough to leave me then, they certainly do now. I wouldn't blame them. I'm terrible. I'm bad. What have I done? Why did I let it get this far? I thought I could get through this. I thought I would let myself listen to them and hear them out. No, I did, and that's how I figured out how horrible I was. How horrible I am_. He knew hours were passing. He didn't dare leave his room. He felt utterly empty. There was no more anger, no more sadness, no more conflicted emotions. All of what he pent up for 4 months were gone in a slice of a blade. He just wished it was released in a better way.

He heard a noise. He thought it was just in his mind. He didn't move, he was only breathing. He thought he breathed funny for a moment and got stuck in his thoughts again. He heard the noise again. He looked down at himself, seeing if he was tapping his foot or not. He wasn't. He let it pass again. The noise was louder. He turned around and scanned his room, seeing if anything was rolling around or had turned on. He was about to stare into space again when he heard that the noise was coming from the door. It was a knock.

"Leo?" Leo didn't respond. "I don't know if you're awake or not, but if you are, I guess you just don't want to talk. Um, I just came by to tell you that Master Splinter is okay. The wound isn't too deep to be very concerned about."

 _Too deep_. Leo felt his chest tense up. _So I made a deep gash in Sensei's head. What a great son I am_.

"So... yeah. He's okay, if you were wondering. Well, I know you were wondering. So." Donnie sounded so concerned and uncomfortable.

Leo didn't know how much time had passed until someone else knocked at his door. They tried getting in, but Leo had locked the door.

"Leo, do you mind if I came in?" It was Mikey. "Are you asleep?" No answer. "I get it if you don't want to talk."

 _No you don't_ , Leo thought. Then he cursed at himself. He needed to stop being so defensive. It had cost him too much already.

"If you're awake, just throw something at the door or tap on it or something. Please. I'd feel stupid if I was just talking to myself."

Leo hesitated. He slowly inched his way to the door, tapping on it once.

"I don't know if Donnie told you that Master Splinter is okay or not. Did he? How about one tap for yes and two for no?"

Leo tapped once.

"Are you okay?"

Two taps.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Two.

"Do you want to come out?"

Two.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Two.

"...do you hate us?"

None.

"It's just... I was thinking about it, and I felt that we were too hard on you last night. But we didn't know if you would listen. We thought it was all or nothing. But we feel really bad. I was fixing to apologize, but..."

One tap.

"It's okay. I understand why you do. I- -"

One tap.

"No? You still like us?"

One hard tap. Then a scratching noise against his side of the door.

"I don't know what a scratch means. Leo?"

Leo thought the well behind his eyes had dried out. He found out it hadn't. His shell had scratched against the door as his body rose and fell with every gasp he made as he cried silently. He put his head in his hands. Mikey must have figured out he was sobbing because he said "Let it out, bro, we love you" then left Leo alone. Since then, Leo hadn't moved from the door. His stomach rumbled time to time, but he wasn't hungry. Sure, his body needed him to eat, but he wasn't hungry. He wasn't thirsty. He didn't have breakfast. He hadn't ate or drank a thing all day. Leo figured it was dark out when he heard footsteps leading out of the lair. They were going on patrol without him. Leo figured it was for the best. He wouldn't be helpful in any way and he would just lead them to doom. A couple minutes later, he found himself standing up. He walked to the dojo and poked his head in to check on Master Splinter. His face fell when he saw wrapping around Splinter's head.

"Sit down, my son."

Leo hesitantly stepped in, sitting on his knees in front of Master Splinter. "Sensei, I-I don't know what to say..."

"We all face a hardship with Miwa leaving. We are slowly moving past it and have not let it consume us. You have not." Splinter stood up, walking over to grab the picture frame with the image of him, Shen and Karai together. "Perhaps it is time that you be trained under someone else."

Leo's heart stopped. "What!" Leo cried. "Master Splinter, I won't do it again, I promise- - don't send me away! It was an accident!"

"It is not a punishment," Master Splinter replied. "The journey is long and hard, and his training is different from what you have experienced. He will teach you things I have yet to learn." Splinter walked back to sit in front of Leo. "It is for your benefit, Leonardo. Your brothers and I want you to learn to not let your emotions get the best of you like they had today." Leo fell silent, dropping his gaze to the ground. Leo placed his hand on Leo's shoulder, getting his attention back. A gentle smile was on his face. "No matter what, you are still my son, Leonardo." He dropped his hand. "You will gather what you must and set off tomorrow night. I have arranged a way for you to reach Japan."

"Japan," Leo repeated. "Sensei, that's so far... How will I talk to you all? I don't know if the T-Phones can make calls out of North America."

"You will not. This is a time you must focus on yourself."

Leo looked down, his body tense. "I know you said it isn't, but this feels like a punishment."

"It is not, my son, I assure you. Now go. Gather your things. You will say goodbye to your brothers, Casey, April and me tomorrow."

"I'm sorry." Leo said suddenly. He put his hand to his head, pressing on it. He was trying to keep back tears. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I let it come to this. I'm so sorry. For everything. I'll make it up to you all."

"We already forgive you, Leonardo," Splinter replied. "And you will show us whether you will or not when you come back home."


	28. Try to Please

Leonardo didn't allow himself to wallow in negativity for the day. Today was his last day with his brothers, April, Casey, and Master Splinter. He wasn't sure whether they knew or not, but he wasn't going to bring it up either way. He had gathered his things he thought were necessary to bring along with him and fell asleep in the process of shoving his backpack under his bed. Raph had knocked on Leo's door and was surprised when it opened as he knocked. He was also surprised to find Leo sleeping on the floor. Leo looked exhausted and his face looked puffy and worn. Mikey had told Raph what had happened before he left Leo alone and Raph felt like his stomach had sunk. Raph lifted Leo up from the ground and set him on the bed, freezing a bit when Leo breathed in sharply twice then fell back asleep. Raph, Donnie and Mikey were determined to try to get Leo to get out with them for the day and spend a day together like old times. They knew that the Foot were a threat, but they didn't care.

* * *

Before Leo had left to gather his things, the concern came up.

"Master Splinter, what about the Foot? I can't leave you all to face them by yourselves. I'd feel too guilty. It's like I'm abandoning them. They might see it that way."

"Your brothers, Casey, April and I can handle it, Leonardo."

"But Master Splinter- -"

"Shredder thrives on vengeance and anger. We thrive on righting the wrong and protecting our city. That is what we will do. If things get out of hand, we will send a message to you."

* * *

Leo was the first one to wake up. He slugged to the bathroom and freshened up, then made himself some food. He drank a couple glasses of water. He went to check on Splinter and wrapped fresh wrapping around Splinter's head. Splinter asked if Leo wanted to train and Leo's terrified expression was the answer. Leo worked on his katas instead, remembering how they used to bring some peace to his mind. He did some breathing exercises and felt his shoulders release tension. He was playing video games on the TV when he saw someone come out of their room. From the skin tone, he could tell it was Donnie. He wasn't ready to interact yet, so he focused intensely on the game.

"Need glasses?"

Leo paused the game, looking up at Donnie. "What?"

"You're squinting at the TV- - guess I should make you glasses or something." Donnie yawned, stretching his arms up. "I'd have to find wire long enough to band around that lemon head of yours."

Leo immediately brought his hands up to the sides of his face. "My head's not shaped like a lemon," Leo mumbled, going closer to the TV to examine his head. Donnie chuckled, which made Leo smile a bit. "Then I guess you've got a pear head."

"Well, at least I'm tasty," Donnie replied.

Leo shuddered. "You made it sound weird."

Donnie burst out laughing. "Leo, you're gross." He turned to go freshen up, then froze. "Have you checked up on Master Splinter?"

Leo was about to resume his game when Donnie asked. "Yeah, I did. I redressed the wound. I don't know if I did it right, though, so you might want to check up on it."

"That's okay. I'm sure you wrapped it fine. Did you make any food?"

Leo resumed his game. "Yeah, uh, there's some toast and some scrambled eggs and some orange juice."

The sound of someone humming "mmm" alarmed Leo that Mikey was now awake. Leo smiled a bit. "Mikey, you might want to get some food before Donnie beats you to it."

Mikey's eyes widened, and he stared at Donnie for a moment before he shot past him towards the kitchen. Donnie rolled his eyes and followed behind Mikey, both of them coming back out with plates of food. They sat behind Leo, watching him play quietly. After Mikey finished his food, he made a loud, satisfied sound and patted his stomach. "Man, Leo, sometimes I forget you can make a killer meal when ya wanna."

Leo paused his game and turned to face Mikey. "What does that mean? You're saying that my cooking isn't always good?"

Mikey smiled sheepishly. "What can I say. It's hard to live up to Chef Michelangelo. Can I have next game with you?"

"Sorry, automatic dibs to pound the dork into the ground." The three turtles looked up to see Raph leaning against the wall, a little smile on his face. "After that, it's all yours, Mikey." He moved past them towards the kitchen, saying "there better be some left for me" as he entered. The three heard a little growl, and Donnie and Mikey dashed off before Raph could come back out. He looked at Leo. "Don't just sit there and look pretty."

"You know how to cook," Leo replied, giving Raph a smug smile. "Or do you need help?"

Raph returned the smug smile. "Who said I was cookin'. Get up already." Leo groaned loudly, making Raph chuckle a bit as Leo entered the kitchen and started preparing things to cook. As Leo started cooking, Raph watched him silently. They both thought they needed to say something but realized there wasn't tension in the air, so they remained quiet. After a while, Raph cleared his throat. He didn't get to say what was on his mind like his brothers had. "Uh, Leo, I don't mean to make ya feel down or anythin', but I didn't get to say what I wanted."

Leo focused on his cooking. "Okay, what is it?"

"It's just," Raph rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit hesitant. "I dunno."

"Yeah, ya do, hothead." Leo turned to give Raph a small smile, then turned his attention back on cooking. "Say it."

"Y'know four months ago, when ya told me you knew you were gonna get all mopey and whatever?" Leo nodded. "I mean, I know you tried tellin' yourself that it wasn't just you. But it was just so much, y'know? We all had our bad times. Shell, we're all still gonna have bad times with the lives we got. I just hoped it didn't have to go down like it did to get ya to realize it wasn't just you. But, either way, I'm glad we got you back, bro." Raph turned his head a bit. "That is, if you're back. Are ya?"

Leo fell silent. He thought hard about his answer. He didn't want to lie to Raph before he had to leave. Leo turned around and nodded. "Yeah. I'm finally back. Sorry I took so long." Then Leo gave a little smug smile. "What, did you miss me?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "We all did, ya dork. Get back to my food." Raph looked up and saw that Leo was looking at him amusingly. "Leo, stop! Focus on the food!"

"Geez, okay," Leo laughed, turning back around. He finished cooking and set the food on a plate, pouring a cup of orange juice. Raph sat down in front of it, about to take a bite of his eggs when Leo swooped in, grabbed his fork, took a bite and set the fork back down. Raph glared a bit at Leo, who was smiling. "What? Had to see if it was okay for you to eat."

"Yeah right," Raph mumbled, starting to eat. Before Leo could leave, he called his name. "Listen, uh, the guys and I were gonna meet up with April and Casey. Do ya wanna come?"

Leo rubbed his upper arm, giving Raph an uncertain smile. "I'm not sure they wanna see me."

"You don't know, though."

"You don't sound like you're sure either," Leo replied. Raph opened his mouth to say something, but Leo interrupted, saying "thanks anyways, though" and leaving the kitchen. Raph sighed, now just poking at his food. Leo was unfortunately right; Raph didn't know if April or Casey wanted to hang around Leo for now, but he wasn't going to just sit by and not find out. He gulped down an egg as he dialed April's number.

"Hey, Raph, I thought we were hanging out later?" April said as soon as she answered.

"Listen," Raph replied, his mouth full. He swallowed down his food and sighed. "Are you cool with Leo?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if Leo came with us, would you get mad or whatever?" Raph asked, taking a bite of toast.

April was quiet for a minute. "I wouldn't mind," April replied. "If he wants to hang out, it's a step in the right direction. That means that Leo is coming back then, right?"

Raph smiled. "Yeah, he's back. Can ya tell Casey? I'm really hungry and- -"

"I can hear that you are," April replied, laughing. "Okay, I'll tell him. See you guys later."

As soon as Raph finished eating, he dashed to the pit and sat next to Leo, grabbing the extra controller. "All right, Nerdo, let's see me win again." After a few rounds of playing with all his brothers, Leo stood up and stretched. Raph raised a brow at him. "What are you stretching for?"

"I was sitting for a good while, Raph," Leo replied, letting out a small exhale. "Sorry if my strong physique makes you jealous."

Raph scoffed. "In your dreams. Anyways, let's go to the surface, yeah?"

Mikey whooped loudly. "Finally, dudes!" He grabbed Donnie's wrist and started running for the exit. "Meet ya there!"

"Mikey, let me gather my composure!" Donnie yelped as he stumbled behind Mikey.

Raph and Leo laughed at their brothers, following behind them. They all went to the surface and ran across roofs, their skateboards on their shells. They took turns showing off their skills and taunting each other until the sun as starting to set. Raph led them to an outskirt of town where they met up with April and Casey. They all greeted each other fondly until Leo had to greet April. They looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to do. Leo sighed, swooping her in his arms. April smiled warmly and hugged him back tightly, her hand cupping the back of his neck.

"I'm glad you're back, Leo," April said as they pulled apart.

Leo smiled. "Me too." Leo looked to Casey, who had a friendly smile on his face. He extended his arm out, and he had his hand balled into a fist. He punched Leo in the arm a bit roughly, then gave him a quick side hug. "Guess we're cool, too, then?" Leo asked, pushing Casey away playfully.

"What can I say, I got a soft spot for suckers."

They all went to an abandoned building with barely any people around and blared music inside. Mikey and Casey played air instruments, Raph was the "DJ", and Donnie, April and Leo "danced." They didn't care if they weren't dancing well; what mattered is that they were all hanging out again with no tension. After that, April ordered enough pizzas for them all and they went to the docks. They were all on guard just in case the Foot decided to attack them, but so far, there was no sign of them. They didn't realize until the pizza arrived that it was close to 10p.m. Hearing this and not aware of how quickly the time passed, Leo felt reality coming back into his mind. He looked at his friends and his brothers, feeling a sudden painful twisting feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know how he was going to get by without talking or seeing or hearing them while he was away. April saw Leo in deep thought and walked over to him.

April wrapped her arms around one of Leo's, leaning into his side. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Leo gave a small smile. "Something always is with us."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Leo ran his hand over the top of his head. "No. This night, we're not going to worry about anything unless we have to." He looked down at April, then sighed. "I'm sorry I was a real jerk. I know that doesn't make up for how ignorant and selfish I was acting, but- -" April interrupted him with a sudden kiss on the cheek. He sighed again, closing his eyes. "Did you just try to tell me to shut up in the nicest way you could think of?" Leo asked, chuckling as she flicked his cheek.

"Somewhat. The other half is saying that as long as we're okay, it's in the past. Now eat already, before we take it all."

* * *

Everyone got to have a moment with Leo. It was short, but very well needed.

 **Mikey** had propped an arm on Leo's shoulder, a big smile on his face. "Took you long enough, bro," Mikey had said. "You, uh, really scared me, honestly."

"Why's that?" Leo asked, not ready to look at his little brother.

"I mean, you were so upset and angry and distant... I didn't know what to expect. I've never seen ya that down before, and it looked like you weren't gonna get outta that funk, no matter how hard we all tried."

Leo brought his hand up and started rubbing the top of Mikey's head gently. "I'm really sorry. I never wanted you to go through that, but I just couldn't make myself remember. I promise, I will do everything I can to be better. For you, for the guys. I will do what I can to be a better big brother."

Mikey engulfed Leo in his embrace so suddenly, Leo's breath hitched to the point he had a coughing fit. "You're already a great big bro, dude!"

Leo finally looked Mikey in the eye, trying to somehow suck back in the tears in his eyes. "Sometimes you're too nice for your own good. But I love you nonetheless."

Mikey didn't try to hide his tears. "Awh, Leo, you're such a dork, but I love ya too, bro."

 **Donnie** and Leo had been joking around and Leo noticed Donnie was a bit tense.

"Is something wrong, Donnie?" Leo asked.

Donnie looked like he had been caught in an act of trouble. He gave a lame smile. "Sorry, but in the back of my mind, I'm sort of expecting something to ruin tonight."

Leo nodded once. "So, me?" Donnie looked a bit guilty, but Leo laughed it off. "I don't blame you; with how I've been treating everyone, it's understandable. But I just want you to know, whatever I do in the future, it's for you guys. I want to do better for you all." Leo put a hand on Donnie's shoulder. "And listen. I know what it's like to do a thankless job, but what you do is something I could never do. So thanks for everything that you do for us, even if you don't want to. I know it's really hard, especially with all the pressure since you're the turtle who can do all that crazy science stuff."

"Well, Mikey can do things like I do too since he has 'Kraang smarts' or whatever he calls it."

Leo scowled at Donnie. "Don't throw yourself under the bus. Just take the compliment."

Donnie smiled in spite of his want to be taking this coolly. "Same to you, Mr. World-on-my-shoulders."

 **Casey** had been poking fun at Leo's broodiness when they started talking.

"Broodiness aside," Casey said, "you're a dorky but really hardworking dude, which is weird."

"So the fact that I'm a mutant wasn't weird enough for you?" Casey rolled his eyes and laughed. "Listen, Casey, I need to tell you something serious."

"There you go again. What's up?"

"You're like family to us, you're important to us- -"

"I get it, dude, you love me," Casey interrupted, sliding his hands in his pockets. "Don't get all bawly."

Leo scowled at him. "That's not the point. The point is that family protects each other."

"Well, yeah."

Leo leaned close to Casey. "I need you to look out for our family just in case I can't. You may goof off sometimes, but I know you can see trouble before it happens. You could be a great leader someday, Case."

Casey heavily considered this, and by the look of it, he was determined to carry out Leo's word. "Why are ya tellin' me this, dude?"

"Some people don't know they have more potential than they know about. And, I care about you and whatever, so it's a bro to another bro."

Casey raised a brow, smiling. "Fine, bro, I guess I gotta take it to heart."

 **Raph** had dragged Leo alongside, seeing that he was caught in his thoughts once again. "Talk to me before you get too in your head."

Leo shrugged, rubbing his upper arm. "I'm just thinking of how I can be better for you guys."

Raph gave him an unimpressed look. "You're seriously thinkin' about that right now? Why are ya giving yourself a hard time? Aren't ya havin' fun?"

The tone of Raph's voice- - genuine curiosity and sorrow- - threw Leo off. "I am having fun, Raph. Honest. I just know that these past four months can't magically go away. I'm just thinking of ways to get better for you guys, that's all."

"You can't be Mr. Perfect, Leo, no one can."

"I know, but I do need to work on myself. Don't tell me that I'm wrong."

"You're not. Just try to think about that stuff later, okay? Let's just have fun for today."

"I just gotta ask you something," Leo said suddenly as Raph was about to drag them both back to the others.

"What?"

"Will you just remember that whatever I do, I'm doing it for you guys?" Leo asked. The look in his eyes seemed as if he thought he had asked for the moon. "That you'll remember that I'm doing my best for you all?"

Raph scanned his brother's face for a moment. "...you're kinda scaring me, Leo."

Leo laughed in spite of himself. "Just try? You and the rest?"

Raph looked away for a moment and took it in. He looked back up at Leo and clasped a hand on Leo's shoulder. "I won't try, Leo. I will. Just 'cause you're really serious about this, I will, and I'll make sure the rest of 'em do too. We love ya." They all heard a horn in the distance and saw the outline of a boat in some fog out in the water. "Hopefully that isn't a shipment for Shredder." Raph gave Leo a smile, elbowing him. "C'mon, pouty, let's have fun before Splinter tells us to get back. If it is for Shredder, we'll deal with everything tomorrow, right?"

Raph led the way to the others. Leo lingered for a moment, starting at the boat. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Tomorrow."

* * *

Around 30 minutes past midnight, Master Splinter had called the turtles and urged them to come back to the lair. They were surprised he let them stay out so late, but they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth for tonight. They all had a great time. They all said their goodbyes and see-you-laters. As they headed down in the sewers, Leo tried to keep his worry pushed down so it wouldn't show. As soon as he was sure his brothers were asleep, he knew he would have to go. Donnie was the first one to sleep, surprisingly. He had tiredly given Leo a very tight hug before he trudged to his room. Raph was the second to sleep, and he had given Leo a tight hug too, but he wasn't really tired when he had. By the time Mikey yawned, Leo felt his heart skip a beat. Mikey hugged Leo from behind, saying good night, and happily went to bed.

Leo waited an hour to see if any of his brothers would get up. When they hadn't, Leo went to Master Splinter. He let himself in Splinter's room, not saying anything until Splinter acknowledged his presence after his meditation. "Are they asleep?" Master Splinter asked.

"Do I really have to go?" Leo asked quietly. Master Splinter turned around sharply in spite of himself. Leo had said it in such a sad and childish tone, it alarmed Splinter and gave him memories of when Leo was a child. "Please, Master Splinter."

"My son, with the amount of pain you are in right now, I doubt you could go through another day knowing you will have to leave."

Leo tried to counter. "I'm just a child." "I'm not ready for this kind of responsibility." "What if something happens to me while I'm gone and you don't know until it's too late?" "What if something happens to you all and I don't know until it's too late?" Throughout all his pleads, Leo was forcing his eyes to stay open so they would dry out the tears. "Please don't send me away."

Master Splinter grasped a hand on Leo's shoulder, silencing him. "Leonardo, this is not a punishment. And I know your feelings towards me are not very pleasant at the moment. But this is for your benefit, my son."

Leo darted his eyes away, his fists clenched. He took in a deep breath and his balled fists were no more. "I don't like this."

"Through our lives, we will not like everything we are faced with. But we do it for the benefit of ourselves and of the ones we love. This is what you are doing. Now go gather your things, the boat will surely leave in a few minutes." Leo turned to leave, but Splinter pulled him back and hugged him. "Be safe, my son. I love you."

Even though Leo wasn't very happy with Splinter, he embraced his father tightly. "I love you too," Leo said quickly, pushing himself away before the part of him screaming to do whatever it takes to stay overpowered his sensible side. He dashed out of the dojo, into his room, grabbed his things, and started to run. He stopped in front of his brothers rooms, feeling his eyes start to swell again. "I'll miss you guys," Leo whispered. "I love you."

Leo dashed out of the lair, up to the surface, then to the docks. He took one last look of his beloved hometown before he sneaked his way into the cargo hold of the ship, being as silent as ever. He was glad he left things on a good note. He knew that his family and his friends weren't going to be happy when they woke up, and he sadly accepted it, as he would feel the same. He was surprised no one connected the dots since he stared at the boat for what seemed to be a while, but then it was just planned the day before. As he felt the boat start to leave the pier, he rummaged his hand through his bag of belongings and pulled out a picture of himself, his brothers, his Sensei and his friends. He made sure he was well hidden as he could be and waited until his heavy sorrow dragged him to sleep.


	29. From There On Out

Donnie was the first to wake up. He didn't notice anything off since he was so tired. He made himself some food to eat and sat quietly in his lab, trying to wake up. Sure, he went to sleep early, but he wasn't used to it, so he was still very tired. He heard a loud yawn and waved as Mikey passed by him to go to the kitchen. Raph woke up a few minutes later, limply raising his hand as a hello as he joined Mikey in the kitchen. Donnie waited for Leo to pass by, since usually he would wake up whenever everyone else woke up if he slept late. Donnie waited several minutes, then it was half an hour of waiting. It was off-putting. Donnie rose out of his seat and walked to Leo's room, lightly knocking on it. He tapped it and jumped a bit when it opened at his touch. He took a step in, seeing that Leo was not in bed. He looked on the floor and saw that his T-Phone was on the floor.

"No," Donnie whispered, feeling his chest grow heavy at the simple sight of a phone. _Maybe he went to go get some air and left his phone behind. Maybe he just needed some time to himself and didn't want the notification sound to disturb him. Maybe he's pulling a prank on us_. No matter how many possible situations Donnie could think of, he knew none of them were plausible at this moment.

"Where's Leo?" Donnie didn't bother to turn to face Mikey. Hearing Mikey's question, Raph rushed over and saw the empty room. They all knew he would be nowhere to be found, but they couldn't accept it. "Where is Leo?!" Mikey asked angrily and sadly. He felt tears swell in his eyes, and Mikey lunged in the room. Raph held Mikey back, surprised at Mikey's great strength as he tried to free himself out of Raph's grip. " **WHERE IS LEO? WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!** " Mikey let his tears flow as he kept writhing in Raph's hold. He eventually gave up, repeating "Where's Leo?" under his breath as Raph held him.

"I sent him away."

Raph, Donnie and Mikey all turned their heads sharply, staring at their Sensei in utter disbelief.

"You _what_?" Mikey asked in a harsh whisper. " ** _You_ sent him away**?!"

"Why did you send him away?" Donnie asked, his voice strained, but there was a hint of anger. "We just got him back. Why? Why did you take him away from us?"

Raph looked away, saying nothing.

"My sons, I know you are upset. I am as well." Donnie scoffed in spite of himself. "It is for his benefit. He was angry and distant for so long. Those feelings will not just fade away as if they were never there. I sent him away so he could learn how to control his emotions when they get the best of him and how to channel them in a healthier manner than lashing it out towards his loved ones." None of them would meet his gaze. "It is for all of our benefits. He is doing this for you three."

The three turtles were silent for a long while. Mikey and Raph had sat on the floor and joined in with Donnie as he stared at Leo's room. "We need time," Raph said quietly.

Master Splinter nodded. "My sons, I am only doing this for the best interest of you four and those you care about." They didn't answer him. He suspected they wouldn't speak to him unless it deemed necessary for a while. While this knowledge pained him, he expected and understood it. He decided that it was time for him to leave his sons be, as he's explained it the best he can in a time like so. Before he could turn to leave, one of his sons spoke.

"Now I know why he looked conflicted yesterday," Raph said suddenly. "He knew."

Mikey inhaled a deep breath, his exhale sputtering. "He hates it."

"No doubt," Donnie replied. "Just as much as we do."

"How long," Raph said to Splinter "has this been planned?"

"Only the day before yesterday."

"I know you wouldn't intentionally do it," Raph spoke "but why would you do that to him? It's too much to take in for him; it must have been killing him all day yesterday. He can't process all that in 2 days."

"He will learn to channel it once he reaches his destination."

"And how are we supposed to handle it?"

"As you please." With that said, Master Splinter left his sons alone. He knew that they would be unhappy for quite a while, as so would he. Raph, Donnie and Mikey all looked at each other for a second, then immediately turned away. Raph knew that from this day on, nothing was going to be the same, and it terrified him. He wrapped his arms around the backs of his two brothers and pulled them close to him, holding them tightly. He could feel how tense they were; how upset they were.

"Just do it," Raph told them quietly. Mikey immediately hugged Raph tightly and started to silently cry. Donnie embraced his brothers and let the immense dread wash over him. "No matter what happens, we gotta stick together. For Leo."

"For Leo," Mikey and Donnie echoed. The three wondered how upset Leo was, and decided that he would be more upset than they could imagine.

Days passed by. The three had told Casey and April what happened, and they went MIA for a few days. They both turned up later. April, Casey, Donnie, Raph and Mikey all swore they'd stick together for Leo and went back to night patrolling regularly. Throughout the days they were extremely upset, none of the five teens spoke to Splinter unless they deemed it necessary. After a while, they started talking to Splinter a bit more every day, realizing that he was just looking out for them. Things weren't normal, but they all knew that it wouldn't be, anyways. Not until Leo came back, that is. From there on out, nothing would ever be the same; for all of them.

* * *

During those days, Leo had been waiting to reach Japan. One day, he woke and didn't feel the motion of the boat moving. He checked his surroundings and found a way to check outside to see where the boat was. He saw a pier and a major difference of scenery. He saw little buildings from a distance and knew that he had arrived to Japan. When the humans were out of sight and occupied, Leo grabbed his things and scurried off and away from the ship into a dirt path. He couldn't directly just stride into town. He had brought along a long, brown trench coat and a hat that covered his face when he tilted it down. He popped the collar of his trench coat and started making his way around Japan.

A few hours passed by and Leo stopped to take a snack break. His feet were aching from the nonstop walking. He sat down and saw that noticed that the sun was starting to go down. He knew he would have to go a little deeper into the middle of nowhere to set up for the night. After he found a place, he started to look around for any place he could possibly hide in or behind so that he wouldn't be out in plain sight. Even in the middle of nowhere, there's bound to be someone that'll walk by. He spotted an area where big rocks looked to occupy the area and headed towards it. He found some rocks that seemed to be able to set up a tent cover over and around, and he did so. He thanked the stars that the weather wasn't something to worry about for the moment. He used his backpack as a pillow and buttoned up his trench coat, pulled his knees up to his chest and pulled the coat over his knees. He pulled his arms in the coat and curled up, hoping that his family and friends were safe. He wasn't sure if they knew what happened to him, but nonetheless, he hoped they weren't too upset, but he knew that that wasn't going to be the case. He managed to fall asleep even though his thoughts clouded his mind.

The next day, Leo woke up and got ready to keep travelling. He looked down at his map and looked at his progress. He groaned when he saw that he still had a ways to go, but he knew it wasn't going to be an easy trip. He snacked a bit on some food and set off, making sure to steer clear whenever any signs of civilization appeared. A few hours into his journey, he saw a dark figure from afar. He didn't think much of it and kept walking, starting to notice that it wasn't any rock or boulder. When he got closer, he saw that it was a person. He immediately started walking to the side to try to distance himself from the person so that they wouldn't take notice of him. He was almost past them when the person spoke.

"Antisocial much?" Leo froze, not turning to face them. "You lost? You look like a tourist."

"I'm not a tourist," Leo replied to the man. "I'm fine."

"Well, no one in their right mind would be out here alone."

"Well, you're out here."

"I help suckers like you find their way to where they want to go. Otherwise, they'd either be dead or missing."

"I can take care of myself just fine."

The man got up from his sitting position, starting to join Leo's side. He was a short and tubby old man, who wore a red vest, some brown shorts and a very large cone-like hat. "Don't worry, little boy, I'll help you find your way."

Leo was not amused. "I can find my way." Leo started walking, but the man followed him. Leo thought if he just kept walking, the man would eventually get bored and leave, but the man stuck around. Leo finally sighed and stopped walking. "Why are you following me? Don't you have a home to go to?"

"Oh, sure I do, but I live alone, so my house can wait. I can't let you get lost or attacked and left for dead."

"I know how to defend myself."

"As do I. Let's keep going." Leo knew that this man wouldn't go away, so he just rolled his eyes and kept going. When the sun was starting to set, he started setting up camp. The man was still there. Leo wasn't sure what the man was going to do while he slept, so he stayed up for as long as he could, watching him. The man glanced at him, giving him a smug smile. "Afraid I'll rob you and take off?"

"No. I just don't know what you're all about."

"I told you; someone has to protect helpless and lost people like you."

"I told you that I'm fine," Leo hissed. "By 2 days time, I'll be where I need to go."

The man pulled out Leo's map from behind him. Before Leo could question him, the man asked "You're going to this area, yes?" while pointing to an area on the map. Leo scowled at him, nodding. "Well, you've traveled off your path, dumbo."

"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" Leo asked, frustrated.

"Because I wanted to see how you would react," the man replied, laughing and wiping at his eye. "You should see the look on your face!"

Leo, fed up, finally looked up to look at the old man. "What is your deal?" Leo spat. "What do you want from me?" He was about to go off when he felt an eerie sense coming around. He squinted his eyes and saw that there were floating figures. He immediately grabbed for his weapons, ready to defend himself. "We've got trouble."

"Psht. It's only trouble if you start it, dummy. Leave them be, and they will do the same."

Leo looked at the old man uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"I'm the one that lives here; trust me." The old man grinned, making Leo's uncertainty grow. He sighed and started to put his weapons away as the figures, now he has figured out to be spirits, start to go towards them. In their hands are weapons, and he can't ignore his instinct to defend. He stands up, pulls out his weapons again, and starts to attack the spirits. There's three of them, and although they don't have physical forms, their weapons are not to be taken lightly. He has a hard time fighting against them, and when he glances back, he sees that the old man is just simply sitting and eating, watching him fight and doing nothing to help. The three spirits are just too much for Leo and they toss his katanas to the side, closing in on him. Just as it seems they're about to attack him, they back away, giving Leo a strange look before disappearing. Leo takes a moment to catch his breath, collect his katanas, and sit back down. He glares at the old man.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Leo asked. "You could have gotten hurt."

"I told you; if you left them alone, they would have left you alone, too. Man, you're stupid."

Exhausted and not up for arguing, Leo decides to turn in for the night. Just as he's falling asleep, the old man says "You should eat before you sleep since you stupidly went into a fight you could have avoided." Leo sighs, sitting up and digging through his bag. He notices that a few of his energy bars are missing, and he sees some of the wrappers at the foot of the old man. "Why are you eating my food? You could have just asked."

The old man, with bits of the energy bar on his mouth, belches loudly and grins. "Well, it's not like you'd tell an old man no, so I didn't see why not. You're such a snappy turtle." Leo freezes in spite of himself. "What, you thought you hiding your face would hide what you are?" The old man laughs and scoffs. "Teenagers. So stupid and dumb. Just eat already." Leo stops hiding his face and raises it, starting to eat. After he eats, he falls asleep, hoping that the next day, he'll be rid of the old man.

He's not.  
Leo wakes up and sees that the old man is up and meditating. Leo tries not to disturb him as he gets everything packed up and gets ready to set off when he remembers that the old man told him that he's on the wrong path. He waits for the old man to finish his meditation and then asks "So, since you say I'm lost, where are we supposed to go?"

The old man gives him a strange look. "Where are you trying to go?"

Leo puts his guard up. "What's it to you?"

"Well, if I know where you're going, I can figure out where to go from here. Jeez, teenagers are so complicated."

Leo waits a bit until he finally decides to tell him. "I'm trying to find the Ancient One. My master sent me here to seek training from him."

"Do you think he'll accept you? I mean, you're so jumpy and defensive and cold. You're a monkey turtle."

"I am not. And I'm not sure; that's why I'm here: to see if he'll train me."

"You might as well go home, little boy."

"I didn't come out here for nothing. Please, just take me there."

The old man sighs. "Fine. But don't do anything stupid, stupid." He leads himself and Leo to where they should go. When it starts getting dark, Leo's about to get ready to settle for the night, but the old man tells Leo that they're almost there anyways. Leo keeps following. An hour passes and they're near a small town. There's some lights lit up, but barely any people are out. The old man stops, turns to Leo, and say "Here you are."

Leo looks around. "...okay, where's his home?"

"You think I'm going to take you to his house at this time? That's just rude."

"Well, I can't really check into an inn."

"I know a place you can go for tonight." He leads Leo to what looks like a plaza, but as they go in, Leo realizes it's a training dojo. It looks abandoned, too. The surroundings look worn down and there's cracks on the walls. Leo looks for a corner spot and gets ready to settle in to sleep when he feels a sudden rumbling. He turns around and sees that a creature that's creating itself from the rocks in the surrounding area appears and has his eyes locked on Leo. He's already got his katanas out and prepares to fight. He looks to the old man and sees the serious look in his face. "This will be your biggest adversary yet."

Leo attacks the creature, but is thrown back as the gravel creature tosses him easily to the side. "You are doomed to fail, as you have always failed yourself and others."

Leo gets back up, glaring at the gravel creature. "You don't know what you're talking about." He advances again, and his attacks fails again. The gravel creature reveals a large weapon that resembles a bat and smacks Leo's side with it.

"I know you better than you know yourself," the creature says as Leo grunts in pain, managing to get back up. Before Leo can even lift his weapons, the creature strikes his bat down on Leo's shell and watches as Leo collapses to the ground. As Leo meets with the hard ground, a thought pops into his head. It's of him, his brothers, Master Splinter and Karai in the nightmare he had of the night Karai was mutated; where the building was collapsing all around them and all but him were in danger. The only turtle he can see and who's speaking is Donatello, and he's in great pain. _'Help me; I'm hurt!'_ Leo tries to attack, but the creature smacks him down again. This time, he sees Mikey. _'We're not gonna make it; Leo, help me!'_ Leo starts to panic as he knows he's again about to be struck down. Raph yells _'Leo, ya gotta do something!'_ Leo's on his hands and knees, shaking as he struggles to stand, when the creature smashes his fist down on Leo's shell. He see's Master Splinter, clearly injured and in critical danger, his hand reaching out and begging to him _'Save us, Leonardo, we are all counting on you. Save us.'_ Leo strikes a katana on the ground, using it to help get himself back up. He feels another pain on his side and sees Karai. She's over the vat of mutagen, and she's slowly falling as she says _'Leo, please, catch me!'_

"I-I'm sorry," Leo says as he manages to get on his feet. He avoids the blow that the creature is about to strike down on him. Their weapons clash, and he struggles to fight it. "I did the best I could!" Leo strikes at the creature's weapon, and the gravel weapon disintegrates into nothing but ruble. The creature starts throwing punches, and Leo defends himself. They walk backwards, and Leo yells as he attacks "There wasn't any more I could have done!" He finally manages to strike a blow on the creature, and as he slices the creatures face, his face appears on the creature. Leo is taken aback.

"If there was nothing you could have done, why do you punish yourself?" The old man asks.

Leo takes a moment, looks at the creature, connects the dots, and smiles. They bow to each other, and the creature is no more. "I finally understand," Leo says. He turns to face the old man, and he gets on his knees and bows to him. "Ancient One; I am honored."

The Ancient One smiles and says "Took you long enough, Leonardo." They both smile. "You should rest up for tonight. Tomorrow, we will start training. But you should get yourself some things from the town since you'll be here a while, I'm guessing."

Leo nods. "Thank you for deciding to train me. I'll see you tomorrow." The Ancient One leaves Leo there and heads home. Leo, still stirring a bit, starts to get ready to sleep. He feels some weight lift off his shoulders and lets himself get the rest he's deserved. From there on out, he knew things were going to be different.

* * *

The next day, he puts on his trench coat and hat as he goes out to the market in the town and buys things he'll need. The Ancient One had told him where to go when he was ready to start training, and Leo started making his way there. Halfway through, some thugs surrounded him and eyed his large backpack. Leo knew that this wasn't a situation he could get out of without fighting.

"Looks like you've got a lot of stuff there, buddy," one of the thugs say. "Just hand it over and there won't be trouble."

"Even if I did, you guys would still attack me so that you can have 'dominance' or whatever. It's pathetic, really."

One of the other thugs speak. "You're gonna eat your words."

"Get him!" The other thugs yell, and they all circle around him. Leo sighs, pulling out his weapons, ready to take them all down when one of them suddenly fall to the ground. They're all startled but quickly get right back to it. Leo's about to fight one of them, but the thug grunts in pain and falls down. Before he can even try to fight another thug, they've all been struck down by someone. Leo, unsure of what the mysterious force is, keeps his guard up.

"Show yourself," Leo says.

"I just saved your life," the figure replies. He follows the voice and sees a figure in a soft shaded red outfit. "Isn't that enough?"

"Doesn't mean you're entirely good, though. You might want to fight me for yourself."

The figure laughs, and it turns its head to look at him. He can only see their eyes. "Do I seem like that kind of person?" The figure reaches behind them and grabs onto something. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Sorry, but I'd like to save my energy for training," Leo replies.

"I'll go easy on you," the figure says, already advancing towards him. Leo manages to pull out his katanas and counters the naginata blade. Leo silently thanks himself for buying a handkerchief to put around most of his face so that only his eyes were able to be seen by others. The hat he kept helps mattes, too. His less hassling clothing really did wonders. They go at it for a while, and Leo feels that he's seen this fighting style before, but brushes it off, trying not to get distracted while in battle. Leo pushes the figure away, and by the look of their eyes, Leo determines they're smiling. The figure also has something covering their face except for their eyes. "Well, now I know you don't go easy on girls. That's good. I like a fair challenge."

Leo narrows his eyes. "Well, fair is fair, I guess," he replies. He notices that she has long, black hair and eyes that he thinks he's seen before. "I think I know you from somewhere," Leo says as their blades collide.

She freezes, then narrows her eyes at him, kicking him in the chest and sends him stumbling backwards. "No one but two people here know me, and you're not one of them."

Leo smiles at that, swinging his blade at her. "It's a big world out there," he replies, seeing her eyes shooting daggers at him. "What, are you shy?"

She lets out a single laugh, twisting her weapon and pushing Leo's blades back. "If anyone here was, it'd be you, Mr. No-Fun." She strikes for his face, but he steps back and pushes her away. "Awh, is someone self-conscious?"

"You're wearing one, too, so don't even!" Leo says, smiling in spite of the intensity of the battle. Their blades clash together, and they both push against each other's weapons, trying to gain the upper hand. Their faces are close, and they're both staring intensely at each other. "I guess you were right about one thing," Leo says.

"What's that?" She asks as both their arms shake.

"This is fun."

He can tell she's smiling. "Awh, don't get soft on me."

"You wish," Leo replies as they both start to feel their whole body shake. Leo swears he knows this girl from somewhere, but doesn't know how he possibly could. He shakes his thoughts away and manages to find some more upper strength and pushes her blades back. She's thrown off and stumbles back until she falls. She grunts, her face turned away. Her mask has fallen off of her face. She gives him a side glance. "You forfeit?" Leo asks, a grin on his face.

She finally reveals her face, and Leo freezes in place as she speaks. "You wish," she says lowly, smiling as she kicks his feet from under him and watches as he falls to the ground. She quickly gets back on her feet, pointing the blade of her naginata down at his face. "Got anything to say?" She lowers her blade a bit and stops smiling as Leo doesn't move or respond. "What, are you hurt or something?" She lowers her weapon, staring at him. "What? Say something; you're creeping me out."

"...it can't be you," Leo says quietly, focusing on her, but he knows it is.

"What?" She asks again, getting impatient.

"Karai?"

She freezes, pulling her naginata back up and holds the blade to Leo's throat. "How do you know me." The playfulness she had in her voice is gone. "Who are you." Leo just keeps looking at her, and she says with more force and anger "Who are you?!" Leo pulls down his mask and takes off his hat, not moving as he sees her reel in place. She lowers her naginata, and they look at each other in utter disbelief and shock. From there on out, they knew that things were going to get... interesting.

"Leo?"


	30. Spit It Out

They just stood there for a moment; Harmony holding her weapon to him and Leo on the ground. She lowered her weapon and held her hand out to them, and the first set of emotions they had were excitement and happiness to see each other. They both started laughing hysterically.

"It's really you! I can't believe it really you!" They both said to each other, still processing it. They both started to calm down from laughing.

"Well, hey!" Leo said, happy to have found her after all those months. He then started to remember how those past months were and started drawing away from her. "Hey..." He said a bit reluctantly. She gave him a confused look, and then remembered the reality. "Hey."

"...hey," Harmony replied. They didn't speak or look at each other for a while. She hated the tension and just spoke. "...I can take you to where you need to go if you need help," she offered.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I know where I need to go." He was distant and broody.

"Well, have fun then," she replied. They both started walking to where they needed to go. They were walking in the same direction, and it was painfully awkward and tense. After a few more minutes of walking, she asked "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see the Ancient One." She sighed in spite of herself. "What?" Leo asked quickly.

"...I live with the Ancient One," she said, seeing him glower. "Well, guess this will be fun."

"Guess so."

* * *

Once they reached the Ancient One's house, Leo let her go in first. Leo stepped in after her, taking in the surroundings. They both smelled food. Leo shut the door, trying to not make such a loud sound, but failed. They both turned their heads toward the kitchen as they heard "Oh, you're here!" The Ancient One stepped out of the kitchen, a wooden spoon in his hand. He was a bit surprised to see Harmony and Leo together, but decided now was a good time to introduce them to each other. "Well, Leonardo, this is- -"

"We've met," Leo interrupted, looking away. "I know Karai."

The Ancient One looked genuinely shocked to hear him use that name. He looked to her.

She turned to Leo. "I go by Harmony now," she told him.

"Well, how should I have known."

"My, my, this is awkward!" The Ancient One announced. They both looked at him with a look that just screamed 'why did you say that?' He smiled at them. "You teenagers. Well, how about we eat before we deal with whatever is going on between you two."

"I just want to train," Harmony and Leo said in unison. They glanced at each other and quickly looked away.

The Ancient One giggled. "This is going to be very interesting!"

* * *

Their night patrols had gotten quieter every week. Small talk was mostly what went on. They didn't blame each other, and no one called it out. They were all still upset about Leo being away. One night, there was a lot of action. Mikey was the first to take notice, and gathered the attention of the others when he pulled out his nunchakus.

"Mikey? What is it?" April asked.

"The Foot," Mikey replied. "A bunch of 'em."

Raph drew out a breath, whipping out his sais. "Finally, something to let out my stress on. What're they up to now?"

Donnie took out his binoculars and saw that they were coming out with large barrels. "Looks like they're picking up a shipment."

"All they're gettin' is a beat down tonight," Casey muttered, pounding his fist into his hand. Suddenly Casey was thrown across the other side of the roof, grunting as he landed on his side. He immediately got heated, looking up to see Tiger Claw. "Kitty cat."

Tiger Claw only gave him a smug smile. "Runt." The turtles and April immediately circled around Casey, weapons at the ready.

"Not a good time to attack us," Raph growled.

"Where is your leader?" Tiger Claw asked. "He is the only one out of you all to put up a fairly decent battle against me."

Raph, Mikey and Donnie all tightened their hands around their weapons. They hated hearing their brother's name out of an enemy's mouth. They felt something wind past them and saw that a pipe hurled at Tiger Claw, hitting his stomach and making him fall.

April's eyes glowered. "Who are you to say someone else is a pathetic excuse of something besides yourself."

Tiger Claw growled lowly at her. "Little girl, you- -"

"Enough! Get him!" Raph yelled. He and the others all charged at Tiger Claw. They immediately halted and bounced back when Tiger Claw grabbed his gun, aiming at them. He stared Raph straight in the eye and fired, but the shot went upwards instead of towards the teens. He then threw his gun to the side, waiting for the teens to lower their weapons. They did so, but their guard was still high. "What's your deal." Raph demanded to know.

"You all know what is happening."

Mikey whispered to Donnie, April and Casey, "I don't know what's goin' on... do you dudes?" They shook their heads, dumbfounded.

Tiger Claw searched around them, looking a bit irritated. "Where is he."

Raph and Donnie glowered at Tiger Claw, then looked away. Mikey spoke up a bit reluctantly. "He-he's not here."

"Obviously," Tiger Claw growled. "Where is he, then."

Mikey got uncomfortable to the point where he didn't want to talk anymore, so Casey picked it up. "He's, uh, gone, Tiger Dude."

Tiger Claw looked thrown off. "Gone where?"

"We... we don't know."

Raph shot a look to Casey, and Casey mouthed 'well what was I supposed to say?!' back. Raph didn't have an answer, but revealing both that Leo wasn't around and they had no idea of his whereabouts could be used against them if Tiger Claw was planning a ruse on them. Raph scoffed before looking away and averting his attention to Tiger Claw. Tiger Claw looked even more irritated than before now that he knew Leo wasn't around and wasn't going to soon. Tiger Claw finally grunted and looked at the group of teens.

"Do you know when he will return?" They shook their heads. "Very well. I will have to explain further, then."

"Explain what?" Donnie asked. Tiger Claw was about to explain when they heard a squeal from below.

"Yo, T.C.! You wipe out them fools or what?" Bebop asked.

The teens looked at Tiger Claw for a moment before Mikey threw down a smoke bomb, letting them escape. Tiger Claw growled in frustration. He swatted at the air, waiting for the black smoke to clear away. He knew merely wanting to talk to the turtles without battling them was going to prove a bit challenging. Bebop and Rocksteady met up with Tiger Claw on the roof, looking around.

"C'mon, G, we can still catch 'em!" Bebop squealed, ready to chase after them.

"Do not waste your time," Tiger Claw growled. "We can now deliver the shipment with no worries now that those scum are gone."

"Da," Rocksteady agreed. "Let us bring the shipment to Master Shredder, azap."

Bebop lifted a brow at Rocksteady. "Azap?"

"Da, azap. Supposed to mean soon, yes?"

"Uh, I think ya mean a-s-a-p, G. Not a-z-a-p. ASAP, not AZAP. And it means 'as soon as possible,' okay?"

Tiger Claw clenched his jaw to stop himself from yelling at the two. He trailed behind them as they left to go deliver the shipment. He decided he would return later to the same roof and hopefully the turtles would as well to hear them out. Though, he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't show up. After all, he had held back from the truth so long, and now that he was finally accepting it, the one terrapin who knew what he was referring to wasn't around. It frustrated him to no means.

* * *

The Ancient One was finding the tension between Leonardo and Harmony less amusing by the minute. Now it was just annoying and childish to him. While they were sparring, Leo was letting his anger get the best of him and wasn't performing well. The Ancient One sighed, irritated, and threw his hands down on his little desk. The sudden loud sound halted the two teens, and they turned to look at the little, old man. His scowling and serious expression intimidated them enough for them to sit down on their knees and stay quiet.

The Ancient One took in a deep breath, then breathed out a long breath. "Finally." The two looked at each other, then back at the Ancient One. "I must admit, it was funny to see how awkward and tense you two were acting in the beginning. But now, it's pretty exhausting." He shifted his gaze to the turtle. "Leonardo, it is no wonder why Yoshi sent you."

Leo looked thrown off. "I never told you my master's name."

"Oh, please. Yoshi came a time ago and brought you four along. He was unsure of how he was going to raise four children on his own, especially mutant ones. He was very hard on himself back then. He wanted to do his best to prevent losing another child." The Ancient One spared a glance at Harmony, who looked dour at the statement. Leo glanced at her from side view and felt guilty. "You two must resolve whatever it is you are bickering about. You must get over this silly grudge. Especially you, Leonardo. Everyone faces hardships. I do not think you would like to be a person that adds on to those hardships intentionally." With that said, he got up and went into his little house, leaving the two teens outside alone.

They didn't speak for a while. Harmony was still lost in thought from the Ancient One's statement for a bit. Leo wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know if she wanted it or how to do it if she did. She collected herself and sat up straight. She finally turned to face Leo, her face serious.

"Spit it out, Leo. I know you're dying to."

He stayed quiet for a moment, telling himself to calm down. He didn't want to come off as angry and bitter. But he did want to let her know how he really felt. He took in a deep breath and stared at her intensely with every word he said, watching for any reaction from her. "For months, I was reeling and was always thinking of what I would do if I ever saw you again. In every scenario, I always saw myself being overjoyed and just glad you were okay. But the reality was that I was so worried about you for so long that it sent me into a despair that not only sucked me down, but my family and friends, too. I'm not trying to make it sound like it was your fault, but you just leaving so shortly after we got you back just... it hurt me."

He bit down on his lip harshly so he could collect himself. "It hurt all of us. Everyone says since I was the first one to meet you and know you, it was why I was so distant and cold and hurt. That didn't give me any right to treat them the way I treated them, though. I hurt them, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. All I wanted was for us to be happy and together, but I should have expected something else, because that's not how life works. It never is. We don't always get what we want, and we can't always protect everyone no matter how hard we try."

Harmony didn't know what to say at first. She was processing all of what Leo said. She couldn't imagine how hurt the others and Leo must have been when they had to wake up and realize that she was gone so quickly. "It wasn't you guys," she finally spoke. "Far from it. I just knew that, with me around, Shredder would never let down with his petty vengeance. I only did it to protect you all. I did it for you guys, not me. I never wanted to leave. I wanted to stay with you guys and get to know my father more and get what it means to just have fun for once. I wanted to patch things up between us all. I wanted to fix everything. I wanted my past to be left behind and just stick around with you guys. You showed me that I don't have to live the way I did; that I get a say in what happens in my life. I... I was just... trying to do the right thing. You have to understand that."

Leo smiled a bit sadly. "I... I get it." He was going to go on, but the break in his voice stopped him. He turned away from her, putting his head in his hands. He pressed his palms into his eyes until he saw colors flying around and different patters in pitch black. He lowered his palms when he felt dizzy and his head started to hurt. He took a shaky but deep breath and finally turned back to look at Harmony. "I-I do get it. I get what you're coming from. I-I'm sorry. I should have considered your side of the story, not just mine. You're my friend. I shouldn't have been so ignorant."

Harmony breathed out a chuckle, putting an arm on his shoulder. He tensed a first, but immediately relaxed. "I should have, too. I mean, I expected you all to be sad, but I didn't know it was going to be that bad. I figured after a while, you guys would slowly get used to it and just get back to doing whatever you guys usually do, sans Shredder breathing down your necks."

Leo gave a smile that looked like he wanted to wince. "Not to ruin the moment, but Shredder's on our shells more than ever now that you're not around. He thinks we're hiding you somewhere and won't tell him."

That made her groan. "Hell, when won't he leave anyone alone." She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "I'm sorry, Leo. I really am. I thought me being away was going to make things better."

Leo reached out for her hand, grabbing it gently. His fingers enclosed her entire hand. "Nonsense. Nothing's the same without you." They stared at each other for a moment. Feeling the silence linger longer than it needed to, Leo pulled his hand away, giving her a small smile. "So. Growing out your hair, huh?"

Harmony laughed a bit, her hands reaching around her shoulder to feel her hair. "Yeah. I kind of like not having to reach up so much just to feel my hair. I don't know. It's still kind of weird, though. I might cut-"

"No," Leo interrupted. "I-it looks nice on you. Really."

She smiled sheepishly. "I was going to say I might cut off the ends, since dead ends are a thing." Leo flushed at that. "But, thanks." They sat silently, not knowing what to say or do next. "Uhm, Leo."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to hug you now."

Leo felt his face heat up. "Wh-why?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she pulled him into her embrace, hugging him tightly until she felt his arms go around her. She loosened her grip a bit and let her forehead rest on his shoulder. Leo laid his chin on her shoulder. "This doesn't mean I'm over with you being gone for so long," Leo spoke softly, seriously. "It's going to take me a while to process it."

Harmony smiled at that. "I didn't expect you to be over it so quickly, anyways. I'm just glad you're willing to try to forgive me."

"So... I guess I'll have to start calling you Harmony now, huh?"

"That's what a real friend would do, after all." After a while, they pulled away and sat in silence again, taking in the nature of their surroundings. "I'm going to lay on you, so don't make it weird. I'm only doing it because I want to lay down, and itchy grass isn't what I want to lay on."

"Okay," Leo said with no falter in his voice. He wasn't flustering or nervous about it as he probably usually would be. Leo uncrossed his legs and laid them straight out so she could lay on them. She was a bit surprised he wasn't being sheepish, but shook it off and lowered her head near his knees. She wasn't the most comfortable, but she didn't want to make things weirder than she felt it already was. Leo looked down at her and smiled a bit. "You do not look comfortable at all." She shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Make yourself comfortable, already, weirdo."

"You're the weirdo, mutant," Harmony retorted, smiling a bit when she felt him laugh. She slipped an arm under his legs and one draping over her torso. Leo slowly slid down onto the grass, folding his arms behind his head. After a while, Harmony felt Leo tense up a bit.

"What are you thinking about?" Harmony asked. Leo looked down at her, puzzled. "You're tense."

He lowered his head back down, staring up at the dusky sky. "I'm just wondering how the guys, April and Casey are taking my disappearance."

Harmony was genuinely surprised. "They don't know where you are?"

"I don't know. I don't know what Master Splinter has told them, or if he's trying to pass on as if he doesn't know. I don't think he'd do the latter, though." Leo sighed, and he shut his eyes. "I have no idea. I just feel bad. I don't know if they know where or why I'm gone. I can't talk to them. I can't do anything until The Ancient One deems it okay for me to go back."

"Why are you here, anyways?"

"...my anger got the best of me. I lashed out on Splinter and hurt him." His voice sounded edged yet sorrow. "I just feel bad in general, I guess. I can't talk to the guys and they can't talk to me, and that's killing me."

"...you're making it sound like it's your fault, Leo."

Leo tilted his head to where his cheek was laying on the grass. He looked pained. "I didn't have to let it get that far. I could have released my anger in a healthier way."

"It's not your fault," Harmony said harshly, sitting up. She stared down at Leo, who looked surprised. "Don't blame it on yourself. It's my fault you got so mad."

Leo thought on that. He puckered his lips to the side, then looked up at Harmony. "We're too hard on ourselves."

"What?"

"We always blame ourselves. It's just how we are. I didn't have to let it get that bad, and you shouldn't feel bad about my mistakes." Harmony looked unsure- - more like unsatisfied- - with his response. Leo gave her a warm smile and grabbed her upper arm, lowering her onto his plastron. "We can't help it. We're just going to have to learn from it and try to do better next time."

Harmony was a bit thrown off from how hard Leo's plastron was. "I think I preferred laying on your legs instead. Your- - whatever you call it- - isn't the most comfortable thing to lay on."

"That's why you use your arms, princess."

Harmony snickered at that. "What, taking after Raphael now?" She propped her arms under her head, looking at the dark sky. She was a bit surprised it got so dark so quickly.

Leo smiled at that, but it faltered. "...I really hope they're doing okay, though. I really miss them. It's killing me."

"They miss you too, dork."

"I know, but... I just hope they're okay."


	31. A Second Chance

Far from it. They were confused as all shell.

"What are we supposed to do about Tiger Claw?" Mikey questioned for the umpteenth time.

"He obviously had something to tell us," Donnie replied. Mikey looked angered at the obvious answer Donnie gave him.

"What was so important that he's setting aside his loyalty to Shredder?" April asked out loud.

"Maybe the dude's thinking of going against Shred Head? Like, once and for all?" Casey questioned.

Throughout the entire bickering and questioning, Raph stayed silent. His mind was stirring. Sure, on where Tiger Claw stood in this entire mess was on his mind, but something stood out beyond that:

_What would Leo do?_

From the past experience, Raph didn't know if he was cut out to be leading the group of teens. Just thinking about it reminded him of the Snakeweed mission. He didn't know what to do about this; how to approach the situation. They could possibly have a chance at having Tiger Claw as an ally, but what if Tiger Claw is setting them up for something? He didn't know how Leo could do this all the time. He knew no matter what they would do, not everyone was going to be happy about it. Raph thought back to the few months they were at the farm house, remembering he and Leo talking in private in the living room.

* * *

_"Leo, you gotta take it easy," Raph had told Leo. "Your leg isn't gonna get better if you keep pushing yourself and keep being reckless as all shell." Raph was slowly setting Leo's leg up on the armrest of the couch, propping pillows under Leo's leg so it wouldn't be too uncomfortable._

_"This is stupid," Leo had grumbled. "My leg's never going to get better."_

_"Don't say that. You brooding never makes things better."_

_"Just because I have to wait to get better doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."_

_"Do you think any of us like it?" Raph retorted. Leo looked a little pained at that. Raph sighed. "Look, Leo, we- - we're just worried about you. I wasn't sure if you were ever gonna wake up. None of us were, not even Donnie. Just," Raph clicked his tongue, then sighed again. "Take it easy for us, okay? Can you do that?"_

_Leo looked guilty now, and he sank into the pillows behind his shell. "I'm sorry."_

_"No," Raph replied quickly, mentally kicking himself. "I didn't mean to sound rude. We just want you to be better, no matter what comes our way."_

_"I know," Leo said. "I'll try harder." They were quiet as Raph put a hot pack on Leo's knee and tried to make Leo as comfortable as possible. Leo was getting a bit tired, as per usual when he couldn't do anything and was confined to sit around and do nothing. Raph noticed that Leo's eyes grew heavy, and he rolled his eyes. Leo looked down at Raph. "What?"_

_"You can't enjoy being told to do nothing," Raph snickered in response. "Your leg may be broken or whatever, but you're kinda living the life. You could easily be whining and having all of us serving you and doing stuff for you."_

_Leo wrinkled his nuzzle at that notion. "I don't want to make you guys do more than you have to."_

_Raph shrugged. "I'm just saying."_

_Leo felt that this was probably going to be the only time he'd get to tell Raph what had been on his mind for so long. "Hey, Raph." Raph hummed in response, indicating he was listening. "I need to tell you something."_

_Raph grumbled. "That's never good."_

_Leo laughed sharply, holding his upper side as he stopped when his lungs constricted too quick. Raph became alarmed and immediately started to get up, but Leo waved him off. "Listen. You're doing awesome at taking charge, Raph."_

_Raph gave Leo an unbelieving look. "...yeah, okay, Leo. Maybe you should go to sleep. You're loopy."_

_"No, I'm serious," Leo replied. "You're keeping up the training, you're keeping things straight around here. Every time something that isn't planned happens, you take charge and they stick great throughout. You didn't have to step up, but you did anyways. You could easily be slacking off and not worrying about everything instead, but you're showing how great of a leader you can be."_

_Raph wasn't really sure how to register this. "Y-yeah, but anytime now, my anger's gonna get the best of me. It always does."_

_"It easily could have these past few months, but it hasn't. You know how to control your anger."_

_"You're forgetting about the whole Snakeweed thing, though. I jeopardized all our lives back then. Any one of us could have died. We coulda been in one of those weird egg plant things."_

_"You've changed a lot since then. You can't let that triumph at how well you're leading everyone now." Raph looked majorly unsettled. "I know you're not used to real appreciation, Raph, and that this is probably making you feel uncomfortable or weird, but I just wanted to let you know in case anything happens."_

_Raph didn't say or do anything for a moment. Leo kept looking at Raph, expecting him to do something, but when he didn't, he sighed. Leo turned a bit so that he was more comfortable whenever he was going to doze off. He didn't regret telling Raph any of it. He just hoped Raph really believed him, and that Raph would put more faith in himself. He wanted Raph to give himself credit where it was due. Leo felt his eyes get heavy, and he glanced at Raph. Raph still hadn't moved._

_"Hey, Raph, I'm going to sleep, okay?"_

_"Yeah," Raph mumbled. Leo could barely hear him. Leo shifted once more, then closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around himself. He was just about to fall deep into sleep when he felt Raph's arms encircle his waist, holding him tightly. Raph had his head resting on the little cushion that wasn't occupied by Leo's large body when Leo opened his eyes a bit to look down at his brother. Leo quickly shut his eyes when Raph glanced up at him. He figured that Raph thought that Leo was fully asleep and unaware of what was happening. Not wanting to possibly embarrass Raph by revealing he was awake, Leo kept breathing as he was. Leo felt Raph's grip tighten around him and felt Raph's face pressed against his plastron._

_"Thank you," Raph whispered to the assumed-sleeping terrapin. "You dork. You don't know how much I needed that. I'm really glad you're not awake right now. I'd punch myself in the face. I don't regret sitting by that tub at all. I'm really glad you're okay. I'm... glad you noticed how hard I'm working even though you're going through shell." Raph stopped himself short. "I need to stop rambling. You're not even awake. This is just like when you were unconscious. I don't know how this helps people at all. You can't even hear me. Fu- - I'ma stop. Just, thank you, okay? Thanks, Leo. Thanks. Thanks for telling me that."_

_Leo and Raph kept that moment to themselves._

* * *

"...Raph?"

Hearing his name snapped him out of his thoughts. He stared back absentmindedly. "Yeah?" His eyes searched around the room until he saw who was talking to him. "Sorry, April, I didn't get that."

"I said, what do you think we should do about Tiger Claw?"

Raph pondered for a moment. The rest of the teens stared at Raph, anxious for any suggestions. Once the decision he had in his head sounded pretty solid, he chewed the inside of his cheek before turning to them. "Okay. I don't know if you guys are gonna be down with this, but we oughta give him a chance. But we can't let our guard down. We'll meet up with him tonight and see what he has to say. If he's legit about betraying Shredder, his actions will do the proving for us. If something in your gut tells you he's up to something, be cautious. We can't immediately put our trust in him. We know what he's capable of and we know he doesn't have much boundaries when it comes to defeating an enemy in battle. So, we see what he has to offer, make a plan, and do whatever we can to take down Shredder."

The teens looked down to the ground, concentrated looks on their faces. Raph didn't know whether they were going to go with his plan, but either way, at least he suggested something. He was about to get lost in thought again when one of the teens spoke up.

"Sounds good to me," Casey said. "You guys?"

Donnie nodded his head. "Yeah, let's do it."

April and Mikey said "It's worth a shot" in unison.

"Really?" Raph couldn't hold back.

Casey gave him a friendly smile, clasping his hand on Raph's shoulder. "Yeah, dude, we're down. Let's get goin', though, we dunno if he'll be gone soon if he is waiting for us up there."

"Uh, yeah, alright," Raph replied, waiting for the rest of them to go ahead before he trailed along. It didn't take them long to meet up with Tiger Claw, who was still waiting by the time they reached the rooftop. Everyone was wary of each other, but didn't dare to try to attack in fear of ruining a potential alliance. "Alright... we're here. You, uh, wanna tell us what's going on?"

"...your brother, though annoying, is persistent when his mind is set on something."

Mikey chortled a bit. "You don't gotta tell us that."

Tiger Claw, not amused, continued. "He once mentioned that I must have recollection of something that involved the Earth being destroyed. I did not want his words to be true, but they are. I do remember. I am very well aware of what Shredder did for the sake of vengeance."

The turtles, Casey and April all stood still, their guards high. Now that Tiger Claw knew that it had happened, he could do endless things with that information. Endless things that could make that happen all over again; that would make that happen faster than before.

"When I had disappeared after that... time..." Tiger Claw's stare hardened a bit. "I soon discovered that there are many multiverses, and in turn, other versions of myself. It just so happens- -"

"- -you're another version of Tiger Claw?!" Mikey interrupted, already having connected the dots. The others turned to look at Mikey, a bit doubtful of the suggestion, but when Tiger Claw confirmed it, they looked genuinely shocked. "So, like, how'd you even survive that?"

"As I said, there are many multiverses. There just so happened to be a multiverse in which the few Kraang that were on Earth during the invasion had started using portals to escape into Dimension X to avoid the inevitable of a black hole. Seeing the Shredder's true colors, I myself went through a portal before they had all shut, promising to bring an end to Shredder and his means to do anything to destroy your rat master."

"...so what are you gettin' at, cat dude?" Casey asked. He still seemed unsure of Tiger Claw's true intentions.

"I will aid you in taking down the Shredder."

"Yeah, but how?"

"Ooh, he could be our fly on the wall!" Mikey suggested, perking up at the thought of it.

Donnie leaned to the side a bit. "Mikey's got a good point. Tiger Claw's basically a brick wall, and tearing him down has proven to be a challenge no matter what. Tiger Claw could gather intel for us and tell us what's going on and what kind of plans Shredder has in the future. That way, we can sabotage the plans before they get carried out or go into full effect." Donnie looked up at Tiger Claw, giving him a serious yet questioning look. "You're willing to risk your cover being blown and Shredder doing whatever it takes for you to be killed?"

"I will no longer side with any man who would destroy the world for petty revenge and think nothing of it. You turtles and your friends have my word."

"Fine, fine," Donnie waved off, seeming distracted. "I'm just concerned about how you're going to actually be able to give us the information you obtain without there being a risk of your cover being blown."

"Uh, D, he could just tell us whatever whenever we gotta battle the dude and the Foot or whatever," Mikey said.

"Yeah, and some of us will have to deal with Shredder's chumps so that they don't see or hear what Tiger Claw's doing," Casey chimed in.

"Okay, fine," Donnie replied flatly. "So, Tiger Claw's our ally."

April looked at Tiger Claw, her stare intense and focused. "He's telling the truth," she finally said. "I can sense it."

Mikey smiled at April. "Does that mean you were reading his mind the entire time?" April snorted a bit, subtly nodding at Mikey's question. Mikey beamed at this, then collected himself and focused on the situation. "Alrighty, Tiger Dude's on our side. We're all cool with this, right?"

"Yeah," Casey, April and Donnie replied. They all turned to Raph, who hadn't replied. "Raph?"

Raph walked up to Tiger Claw, a hard look in his eyes. He was serious, and his stare was intense as Tiger Claw stared at him back. They didn't move for a bit, they just stood and stared at each other, like they were searching for any hints of possible betrayal. After determining there was no sign of betrayal in the other, their stares hardened a bit less, but they were still serious. Raph finally extended his hand out. Tiger Claw immediately clasped his hands in Raph's, and they shook once. But Raph held his grip, his fingers digging into Tiger Claw's hand.

"You do anything that makes us think you're setting us up, I know someone who really has it out for ya that would just _love_ to see you again after so many years."

Tiger Claw's mind could only come up with one person who fit Raph's description. His firm grip on Raph's hand tightened, and they shook on it again. "You will not regret this decision, turtle."

Raph's jaw clenched. "I better not, kitty cat."


	32. Two Alike

Things were going fairly decent ever since the decision to have Tiger Claw as the team spy had been made. Fewer encounters with the Foot all thanks to Tiger Claw managing to thwart the plans before they could be carried out. The intel they were getting was really helping with the production of a plan to take down Shredder. Patrols could be split into shifts for the two groups- - Donnie, Casey and Mikey were a team while Raph and April were the other- - now that they didn't have to worry so much as they did before. They were doing relatively well!... except for Raph.

The three terrapins would bicker here and there about who should be the temporary leader of the team with Leo's absence. It usually came up when something that one of them did ticked off one of the others. Some points that his brothers made he had contemplated over for nights on end. It only made his doubts of filling the role as leader worse, and it would get to him sometimes when they were on missions. If he thought he was stressed before without the role of leader, he was really learning what kind of stress his elder brother must have felt. There was a time where he and Leo fought, and Leo had said, in a raised voice, "try walking in my shoes, Raph" before he stormed into his room, clearly not having the energy to further argue. Now Raph was, and it wasn't as easy as he thought it'd be.

Raph dismissed himself during one of Donnie's brainstorming moments- - he knew he'd be filled in later, anyways- - and went to go sit on the couch in the pit, trying to get some peace and quiet while he could. He had been having some headaches for the past couple of days, and he had just gotten another one. He hadn't found a way to lessen the aching or how to make them go away, and it was frustrating him, which only made it worse. He shut his eyes and let out a deep breath as an ache pounded in the back of his head.

April peeked her head out of the lab doors, a concerned look in her eyes. For the past few days, she had noticed that something was wrong with him. She wanted to ask, but she didn't want to risk making him frustrated on trying to find a way to express it. She sneaked into the kitchen and fixed up some tea for him. She peeked back out before she stepped out, seeing that Raph had leaned his head back and looked a bit less uncomfortable. He slid down a bit and took another deep breath. She quietly approached him, setting the tea down on the far end of the couch so that his movement wouldn't tip it over.

Hearing something clinking and being set down on the couch, Raph lazily opened his eyes and looked down at the tea cup on the little plate, then looked up to April. He looked back down at the tea, then dryly and quietly laughed to himself. "That obvious?" He asked in a soft voice. He sounded exhausted, but they hadn't gone out on any missions or patrol yet for the day. April shrugged, picking up the tea and sitting beside Raph. She held it out to him, waiting until he grabbed it from her. Even though he wasn't big on tea, the warmth felt good going throughout his body. "Thanks, April."

"Do you want to talk about it?" April asked. "We don't have to, if you don't feel like it. I just don't want you to keep too many emotions bottled up."

Raph laughed again, closing his eyes. "Have you met me?" He sighed, turning his head in April's direction but not opening his eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude or anything. I'm just tired, I guess."

"Did you stay up later than usual? Did something keep waking you up?"

"No, I slept fine. Maybe it's a different kind of tired or something, I don't know." He rubbed a hand across his face, then rubbed his forehead. The aching had moved up now, and the pounding was irking him. "Maybe I'd feel better if these headaches would go away."

"Headaches?" April repeated. "Have you taken- -"

"I have, and it didn't do much except spare me a few minutes of the aching. I don't know how to make them go away."

"Raph, you're stressing out. You should try laying low for today, at the least. It's not our shift, anyways, so some peace and quiet and a good nap could do wonders."

"I guess I'll try it," Raph replied. He opened his eyes finally and stood from the couch, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go talk to Sensei about this. Maybe he'll know something to help me."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Raph replied. "He's my father, and while I don't really like the decision he made, I have to try to understand it. But I'm just gonna ask him about the headache, that's all." He gave her a little wave before he turned and headed for the dojo. Lately, they had been voluntarily talking to Master Splinter instead of just replying to questions, but the tension was still there. He walked in the dojo to see Sensei standing in front of the tree, just standing in the light. Raph rubbed his hands as he slowly stepped forward. "Sensei, am I interrupting?"

Master Splinter turned, a gentle look on his face. "Never, my son. What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if you knew anything to help with headaches. I've been getting them a lot for the past couple days, and I don't know how to make them go away or at least make the aches more dull. April gave me some tea, but I don't know if it's working. I tried taking some pain meds and just trying to relax, but nothing's helping."

"Have you considered meditation, Raphael?"

Raph dismissed the notion. "Not big on meditation, Sensei."

"It wouldn't hurt to try it, my son. It wouldn't make the headache worse if it doesn't work. Or perhaps just doing simple stretches could help."

"Stretches sound more likely for me to do. Thanks, Sensei."

"What is troubling you?"

Raph paused, a bit puzzled. "I mean, I just told ya..."

"What caused your headaches? Do you know?"

"Oh," Raph breathed out. "Uh, April says I'm stressed out. It's probably what it is. This whole leader thing is kind of... well, stressful. It was just dropped on me and I don't know how to shape up that quickly to lead the team. I mean, I knew it was hard and whatever, but I didn't know that it would be this stressful. I thought Leo just liked bossing us around sometimes for the sake of bossing us around." Raph went quiet for a moment and looked up at Splinter, flushing a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble or whatever. Thanks for the suggestions, Sensei. I'll try them out before I take a nap."

"Do not mind it, Raphael. I am glad you feel comfortable enough to tell me your feelings." He gave Raph a soft smile. "You should go try the methods."

"Right, yeah," Raph replied, starting to head out. He suddenly stopped, looking down to the floor. "Hey, uh, Father?"

Splinter turned his head to look at Raph. "Yes?"

Raph flushed again. "Uh, never mind, it's dumb." Glancing up to see Splinter's face of disbelief, Raph sighed. "Okay, well, before all of this, you said that soon you were gonna teach us about the spiritual world and stuff. I was just wondering if like, spirit wise, you could tell how Leo's doing? Like I don't know how it works, but can you do that? See how Leo's holding up?"

Splinter paused at this, then breathed in deeply. "I will have to go into a deep meditation to determine this. I will let you know, Raphael."

Raph was a bit disappointed he couldn't know then and there, but he nodded. "Thanks, Sensei. I'll go now." He left the dojo, treading to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, putting his head in his hands. Now that he had sat down, he dismissed the idea of trying stretches to make the headache go away. He laid down, focusing on his breathing.

* * *

As for Leo, he was learning- - emphasis on learning- - on how to find a way to move on from those 4 months. He was also trying to find a way to cope with the silence that now surrounded him instead of the sounds of the bustling city life and his family chatting up a storm on the other side of the wall. It was always quiet- in the mornings, afternoons, and especially at night. He always wondered how being surrounded by quiet would be, and he wasn't enjoying it as much as he had initially thought. The chirps of the crickets were distant as Leo lay on the bed, his hands folded on his chest. He couldn't stand trying to sleep in the silence anymore, not that he was really tired with being so focused on the silence. He quickly got up, grabbed his katanas and crept out the door into the back. He walked a good distance away so that he wouldn't risk waking Harmony or the Ancient One.

He unsheathed his blades and started swinging them around, immediately relaxing as he heard the familiar sounds of the blades gliding in the air and the light breeze that he'd always feel on his arms. He would do certain moves, picking up speed and focusing on the sounds of the blades and the sound of his feet crunching and sweeping through the grass. He had his eyes closed and was going into a deep trance, intensely focused on his breathing and letting his other senses be his alert system just in case something would happen. He suddenly felt a sensation in his chest and a bit of a weight. He immediately opened his eyes, looking around and staying still. After a minute of not hearing or seeing anything nearby, he decided to just sit down, so he did.

He wondered what he had felt minutes ago, and began to meditate in hopes of the feeling to return. Feeling the sensation again, he didn't dare open his eyes again; instead, he deepened his breathing and let his posture relax. The weight was on his shoulders now, and it was spreading throughout. He wanted to wonder what was happening, but breaking his focus on the sensation would just make it disappear, and he wasn't going to risk it. His whole body felt a bit heavy, and he heard a low, distant voice. He waited to hear it again, and he immediately did as told when he heard the words, "Leonardo, open your eyes."

His heart was racing as he saw a faded blue silhouette of someone sitting in front of him. His eyes searched the figure sitting in front of him, realizing that the figure wasn't done forming. His heart grew heavy when he saw the finished result: his Sensei.

"Father," Leo breathed quietly. The word felt weird as he said it. He hadn't said it in such a long time. "Father. Is that- - did something happen? I- -" Leo started to panic, thinking of many worst case scenarios. "A-are you d- -"

"Calm down, my son," Leo replied. "I am not harmed. We are fine."

Leo tried to catch his breath as he sat back down. "I," he breathed "don't understand."

"You and I are currently in the spiritual plane."

Leo looked around him, confused. "But, I'm still where I was before..."

"Yes, but your physical body is sitting. It is as if you are dreaming, in a sense. Your body is still, but your mind and spirit is not."

"Okay," Leo replied. "How did I get here?"

"Meditation. I called to your spirit."

"Why? Do you need me to return? Did something happen?"

"No, my son, we are unharmed."

Leo sighed, relieved. "Good. That's really good to hear." A silence fell, and Leo felt some tension. "...what's going on, then?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing, Leonardo."

Leo sat there for a minute, fidgeting with his hands. He was happy to see his father, but reality hit him across the face, and he remembered the loneliness he was feeling. "I... I want to go home."

"You are homesick."

"It's so quiet here. It's not a bustling town. It's tranquil. I always wondered how this would be; how I would feel."

"How do you feel now?"

"...lonely." Leo laughed sadly. "It's really lonely, to be honest. It was nice for a little bit, but it just reminds me of why I'm here. How I got here. How much I miss my family and friends." Leo looked up, his eyes big. "Do... do they know?"

"Yes."

"How did they take it?"

Splinter smiled a bit sadly for a moment. "About as well as one might expect."

"Not very well, then." Leo sighed. "Are they speaking to you, at least?"

"It took a while for them to voluntarily speak to me, yes," Splinter replied. "I know this is upsetting. I wasn't happy about it myself, but it is for your benefit, Leonardo."

"In this scenario, yes, but not everything you think is best for me will turn out in my favor, Sensei. I know you want the best for me, the best for all of us, but sometimes, you can't determine it. Sometimes you can't account for how we'll feel about it throughout it and in the end. I do appreciate what you do for all of us, but sometimes, you just can't say you know what's best for us. You just can't."

Splinter considered this heavily. "I suppose I will have to further meditate on that, Leonardo. You do prove a good argument. I cannot always account for your feelings, and I should take that into consideration when making decisions that affect not only you, but those around you, as well."

Leo nodded. "Yeah." He sighed, looking down. "I know I kind of put it upon myself, but sometimes, being the 'golden goose' really has its drawbacks. Everything is used as an example and I'm always watched. Everything I do seem to affect how everything will turn out. It's a lot of pressure, Father. Decisions are made for me because it's for 'my benefit,' but sometimes, no one considers how I'd feel about it. Sometimes I don't get a say. And when I do something wrong or unexpected, it's a really hard blow when I'm told 'that's not like you' or 'I'm disappointed/ashamed of you' because, honestly, it feels like I can't even express my feelings or actions without being told that that's not what I should do." He felt his eyes watering, and he harshly blinked the tears away. "Sometimes it just... really sucks."

Splinter's brow was furrowed, and a frown was on his face. "Leonardo..."

Leo felt his throat tensing up and his jaw hardening as the tears came back into his eyes. He smiled sadly. "Guess I said what I wanted to a little too late, huh?"

"How long have you felt this way, my son?" Leo merely shrugged, not feeling like talking anymore. "I... I did not realize, my son. I... I'm sorry."

A silence fell between them. Leo didn't want to look at Splinter, but he didn't want him to leave either, so Splinter remained. Leo took a deep breath. "Why didn't you try to contact me earlier?"

"I wanted you to have time to adjust, my son."

"Was it your idea to contact me?"

"I have wanted to many times, but this time, it was not. Raphael asked."

Leo finally looked up. "Raph?" He sat straight up, feeling his chest grow heavy. "H-he asked for me?"

"He asked me if I could tell him how you are doing."

"H-how is he doing? How are Mikey and Donnie and April and Casey?"

"Raphael tells me he is understanding the pressure and hardships that come with the role of the leader a bit too well. He is very stressed. He's resting now, trying to feel better. Your brothers, Casey and April are currently devising some sort of plan with Tiger Claw."

"Tiger Claw?" Leo said quickly. "What happened?"

"From what your brothers have told me, they said that Tiger Claw told them you were right about an accusation you had about him."

Leo didn't know what he was feeling about that, but he knew exactly what Splinter was talking about. "I knew it!"

Splinter looked a bit distracted. "My son, I am afraid I must go now."

"W-wait! Tell the others I said hi, and I miss them, please? Tell them I'm trying my best. Give them my best regards. And tell Raph that I believe in him. I know he's a good leader. Please. Please? Tell me you'll tell them!"

"I will, my son. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Father. I hope I'll be home soon."

"As do I." With that said, Splinter faded away from Leo's view.

Leo felt his chest grow heavy again, and he felt a sudden pull. He felt as if he was being dragged, and he quickly shut his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he felt his spirit back inside his body, and he knew he was out of his meditation. He spread his limbs out, feeling the many sensations as he stretched, and looked around. He suddenly felt exhausted, and his face felt tight since he didn't let himself cry. His forehead especially ached. He stood up slowly and trudged inside, leaning his katanas against his bedside and dropped onto his bed. He pulled the blanked over himself, let his head sink into the pillow, and closed his eyes. He saw moments of him with his brothers, and felt the tears come back again. He tried his best to blank slate his mind, but he felt too tired and instead fell asleep.


	33. From One Leader to the Next

Raph couldn't sleep. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't sleep. He wasn't much of a napper, but he was exhausted. So why couldn't he just sleep? He kept tossing and turning, getting too hot whenever he tried different positions, and eventually just grunted and sat up. It was no use. He swiped the water bottle by his bedside and quickly opened it, chugging it down. He just wanted to sleep. He tossed the water bottle across the room and groaned as he fell back onto the bed again, sighing as he heard a light knock on his door. "Yeah?"

"Raphael, you are not asleep?"

"No," Raph sighed again. "You can come in." He heard light nail taps as Splinter walked in, quietly shutting the door behind. "Something happen, Sensei?"

Raph moved his foot and tucked them behind him, making way as Splinter slowly sat himself on the end of Raph's bed. "I made contact with your brother."

Raph didn't move for a moment. "He tell you to tell me in a dorky spacey way?"

Splinter smiled a bit. "No. But I thought you would appreciate it."

Raph turned his head a bit to look at Splinter. "How is he?"

"He is still adjusting. He said he is not used to the silence at night." Splinter's smile faded. "He told me his inner feelings."

Raph sat up now, leaning his body towards Splinter like a child ready to listen to an interesting story. "What inner feelings?"

"How he feels that he has no control of his life and if he makes a slight mistake, he feels he has no way of fixing it because of all the eyes and judgement and pressure in his life."

Raph leaned back now, seeing the sorrow in Splinter's eyes. "Oh. Those feelings."

"I did not know he felt that way. When he arrives back home, I will have to have a talk with him. I do not want him repressing these sorts of feelings any longer. I need to try to do my best to be a better father."

"You're a great dad, Sensei. You're looking out for us the best you can. It doesn't help that we're not regular humans. We're all trying the best we can."

Splinter smiled a bit. "You've grown much more wiser, Raphael. If you feel any way that makes you feel very negative, talk to someone or have a healthy outlet so that you do not feel any worse, okay?"

"Okay, Sensei, I'll remember that. Thanks for contacting Leo, it means a lot."

"Of course, my son," Splinter replied, getting up. As he left the room and opened the door, he halted and turned to face Raph. "Leonardo said that he has faith in you. That you are a great leader. He believes you can lead the others efficiently and the best of your abilities."

Raph stared into Splinter's eyes. "He said that?"

"Yes. Your brother has immense belief in you." He left Raph to process this. Raph didn't know which feeling out of all the ones he was feeling at that moment stood out the most, but for a good couple of seconds, he felt pride and happiness. Raph felt a bit tired from all the thoughts rummaging through his head and laid back down. He turned on his side and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

The lab was filled with loud chatter and random sounds of feet landing on the floor. Splinter opened the doors slightly, trying not to make such a loud noise. As soon as someone noticed Splinter, the teens fell silent and all their eyes were on their rat master.

"Hi, Sensei, what's up?" Mikey asked.

"Am I intruding?"

"Oh no, we're basically finished up," Donnie replied, setting down his pencil. "What's going on?"

"Leonardo has a message for you all."

Their heads turned sharply, their full focus on Splinter now if it wasn't before. "What'd he say?!" They asked in unison.

"He said hello, he misses you all, he is trying his best to become better for you all, and he gives you all his best regards."

"How'd you talk to him?" April asked. "I thought he didn't have a way to call or write us."

"I contacted him through meditation."

"...so what, you two met in the spiritual plane or something?" Casey asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Splinter replied matter-of-factly. "I am certain we will make contact in the future. But he is homesick, and he misses you all very much."

"We miss him too," Mikey replied softly. "When is he coming back?"

"When he is ready."

Mikey exhaled softly, turning his head away. "Who knows how long that'll be."

Donnie put a hand on Mikey's shell, trying to comfort him. "Thanks for telling us, Sensei. Tell him we love him, and that we miss him too, next time you two make contact."

"I will." A silence fell. Splinter didn't want there to be uneasiness or tension between them again, so he changed the subject. "Did you all devise a plan?"

"Yes; there's a few bumps in the road, but I think we have a solid plan to act on!" Donnie replied, his voice filled with excitement and determination. "I would say it now, but I want Raph to be here when I go over it, so I'll wait. But I think we can actually pull it off with very few disadvantages that occur."

"Very well, inform me when you are going over the plan, then," Splinter responded, showing himself out. "Disperse; go eat and relax. You all have been in here for quite a while."

"Okay, Sensei," they replied in unison once again. They did as told and left the lab. Mikey went to the kitchen while Casey, April and Donnie went and sat on the sofa. Casey laid his feet across Donnie's lap, sinking into the couch. Donnie didn't feel like sniping at Casey, so he let it be. April turned on the tv, but at best, it served as background noise. Mikey came back out with some water bottles, tossing them at the three.

"Here, we gotta drink some water," Mikey said as he plopped down in front of the tv. "Anything good on?"

"Not sure," April replied. "I haven't been paying attention to it. Do you guys think is actually asleep?"

"I dunno, he's not a big napper," Mikey replied. "I hope he is. Dude needs a break."

Donnie sighed, slumping into the sofa cushions like Casey had. "I feel kind of bad. I've been bickering with him and saying some pretty cruddy stuff to him. He must be having a really hard and stressful time. He was thrown into that position and I'm just not used to this instability."

"You can tell him that later, dude," Casey replied. "We should try to make it a lil easier for him as much as we can."

"We can try, but we're all stressing over the whole Tiger Claw spy thing," April replied. "I imagine it's not easy being a leader."

* * *

Raph suddenly jolted awake, taking in deep breaths. His chest felt heavy, even when he steadied his breathing. He looked down at his hands, getting a bit confused when his sight made it look like there was a transparent blue glowing silhouette appearing over his hands. When he moved his hands, so did the silhouette. He looked around, everything looking a bit distant and faded. When he moved, he felt like he was moving sluggishly, even though he wasn't. Feeling dizzy, Raph put his hand up to his head, trying to not look around so much.

"It's a really weird feeling, isn't it?"

Raph froze, the fingers on his head digging into his skin.

"Don't do that; it won't help with your headaches."

Raph tried to steady his breathing; he wasn't sure how dizzy he would feel if he looked up. He only saw a silhouette similar to the one following him, only it was glowing more blue and was outlining a foot just like his. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly lifted his head up. He felt a faint touch on his shoulder, and he tensed.

"Relax, Raph. Slowly open your eyes. It'll be easier."

Raph took in another deep breath, taking the advice of the voice. He slowly opened his eyes, and didn't believe what was in front of him for a minute. "N-nah," Raph said in a low voice, closing his eyes tightly. "My head's messing with me."

The voice let out a soft exhale. "I-it's not, Raph."

"This isn't real."

"Physical wise, yeah, you've got a point. But..." The voice let out a shaky breath. "Just open your eyes again."

Raph felt his face get hot. "This isn't real, though."

"Please, Raph?" The voice pleaded. "Please."

Raph sighed, letting his hand drop down from his head. He slowly opened his eyes again, making sure that they weren't as wet when he first closed them. He tilted his head up, holding his breath as the familiar features struck him. When he finally saw Leo's face, he couldn't keep eye contact for a moment. He felt his eyes getting watery again. He let out a shaky, sad laugh. "This ain't real." Leo stayed quiet, his hand still on Raph's shoulder as an act of comfort. He waited for Raph to collect himself as much as he could before he looked back at Leo. "You're not here. I'm dreaming this."

"You're not."

"Then what is this?"

"We're in the spiritual plane, Raph."

Raph laughed again. "Yeah, 'cause I've learned enough about the spiritual world to actually get myself into it."

"I subconsciously contacted you in my sleep. Why were you sleeping? Isn't it still day time for you guys over there?"

"Yeah."

"Then?"

"April and Sensei wanted me to try to take a day to chill, so they suggested I nap."

"You actually napped?"

"Yeah."

"Did it take you a while?"

"Yeah."

Leo sighed, dropping his hand from Raph's shoulder. "Raph... don't one-word me, please. I know you might be mad at me, but- -"

"Mad at you?" Raph interrupted. He locked his eyes with Leo's. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at all. I'm sad that you're gone. I'm sad that you're homesick and that I can't do much about it. I'm sad that you're alone. We miss the shell outta you, Leo. Things aren't the same without you."

Leo smiled sadly. "It's not at all the same without you guys. It's really quiet."

Raph smiled now. "But you always said you wanted some peace and quiet."

Leo chuckled, tilting his head back a bit. "Yeah. It was nice at first, but... I miss the noise of the city and of you guys keeping me up. I miss you guys a lot." Leo faced Raph once again. "How are you holding up? How are the others?"

"Eh, we're trying our best to figure everything out. We got Tiger Claw to be our spy and to help us take Shredder down. I'm sure Donnie made a plan of some sort, but I guess I'm still sleeping. I think he's waiting for me to wake up. I can try to keep you posted. How about you? Any exciting things go on there?" Leo fell silent, looking away from Raph. It seemed like he was observing Raph's room, but Raph could tell that Leo was trying to avoid eye contact, which meant he was unsure of saying something. "Leo. What is it? Is it bad?"

"No, not at all," Leo replied. "It's just... it's kind of weird."

"What?"

"Harmony is here."

"...did you make another friend that you didn't immediately tell us about like you did with Karai?"

"That's the thing," Leo replied, a sheepish smile on his face. "That's Harmony."

"What? What're you tryna say?" Raph asked, clearly confused. "Are you sayin' Karai's there?"

"Harmony, yes," Leo replied. "She's here. In Japan."

"Did she change her name?" Leo nodded. "How'd you bump into her?"

"She was actually here where I'm training before I got here."

"Jeez, Leo. Are things weird between you two? Are you mad?"

"I was at first," Leo replied. "I really was. But we talked it out. I don't know. Right now, we're just focused on training. I don't know what her plans are, except that she thinks that if she's away from Shredder, he'll lay off."

"But he isn't! He's at our throats!" Raph laughed dryly.

"I told her that. I'm still not really sure what her plans are, but I know that she's just trying to live a life where she can be free and not cause any distraught to any others. She wanted to try to protect us. She- -"

"Does Sensei know?"

Leo froze. "What?"

"Does Sensei know she's there? Did you tell him?"

"I," Leo started, then he fell silent. "I, that completely slipped my mind. I was so caught up with my feelings... I forgot to tell him."

"Are you going to?"

"I-I don't know- - should I? I mean, her leaving is what made us all spiral down... it's kind of why I'm here in the first place. I'm not sure if she wants him to know. I need to respect her wishes."

Raph nodded. "You got a point. How is she doin'?"

"She's really trying. She changed her style a lot. Different hair style, different ways to fight- - trying to blend in. She's more carefree than before."

"Are you gonna tell her about you contacting me and Sensei?"

Leo shrugged lamely. "I don't know. I was just really happy to actually get to talk to you and Sensei. I don't know what to do lately."

Raph smiled. "I hear you there."

Leo's expression turned serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh, pretty okay 'til you looked at me all serious," Raph replied, sitting up straight. "Why?"

"I know you're stressed out." Raph tried not to look away. "I know being suddenly thrown into the leader position was a big change for you. And even though this isn't the first time, it's the first time where something is actively going on."

"New York was being invaded the first time; was that not actively happening?"

"We weren't in New York for months. Don't try to dodge the subject." Leo softened his voice. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Raph shrugged. "I don't know. It's really stressful. I gotta make big decisions, and they're criticized in some way no matter which decision I make. I know it wasn't easy, but, shell, this is getting to me much quicker than I thought."

"Find a process," Leo replied. "There's always peaks and valleys- - highs and lows- - so you need to find something that can balance it all out as much as possible. Leading is always going to be criticized, but you have to learn which criticisms are constructive and which ones are just out of spite or ignorance. It'll take a while."

Raph smiled a bit, scoffing. "Can you just come back already?"

Leo smiled now. "I want to. I need to grow somehow, though. I'll come as soon as possible, though, okay?"

"You better. I gotta be the first one to punch you in the arm."

Leo laughed. "I'll be ready for that, then." Leo's silhouette glow was starting to fade. They were both startled, and Raph felt his heart racing.

"Leo?"

"I-I guess I gotta go," Leo replied, uncertain. "I don't know what's going on, but it feels like I'm being pulled away."

"But," Raph started, but stopped. He sighed, dropping the hand he reached out to Leo. "I-I guess we'll just have to wait for next time."

Leo nodded. "I'm sorry. You're fading too. Take deep breaths as you fade; it'll help with the dizziness. Be safe, okay?"

"You too, bro. Love ya." It slipped out, but seeing Leo smile that wide, dorky grin made it worth it.

"Love you too. Tell the others I love them."

"I will. See ya, Dorko."

"See ya, Hothead."


	34. The Other Side: Raph

Raph's eyes shot open. His heart was pounding as he slowly sat up, looking around once again. He didn't feel the sluggish drag he did in the spiritual plane. He looked down at his hands and saw no silhouette. He took deep breaths, trying to relax as he grabbed for a random water bottle he found on the ground. Taking some in, he got on his feet, taking his time to walk just in case he wasn't awake. Once he made it to the door, he knew he wasn't. He looked down at his now empty water bottle, deciding to go and refill it. He was pretty parched.

"Aye, Raph's awake," Casey called out suddenly, startling Raph a bit. April roughly shoved Casey, giving him a look for startling the turtle. "Oh, sorry, bro, didn't mean to spook ya."

Raph was going to say 'I wasn't spooked', but he instead shrugged. "It's chill. You guys come up with a plan yet?"

"THE plan," Donnie replied quickly, shouting from his lab. "Come on; grab Sensei and we'll go over it in here."

"Sure, lemme just fill up my bottle," Raph replied, rubbing at his eyes as he walked to the kitchen. He twisted the cap off the bottle, heading to the sink and passing Mikey, who was standing in front of the fridge and playing with Ice Cream Kitty, letting out a little yawn.

Mikey's head spun around. "Did you manage to nap, dude?" Mikey asked. Raph nodded, turning on the water and blankly staring at the bottle being filled up. Mikey stared at Raph for a moment, then frowned a bit. "What happened?" Raph tried to reassure Mikey, but Mikey didn't even give him the chance to reply. "Don't say nothing happened. I know you, dude. Something's up."

Raph turned off the water and twisted the cap back on, sighing. "I'll tell you all whenever we go over the plan."

"You promise?" Mikey held out his hand and lowered two of his digits. "Pinky promise?"

Raph chuckled a bit. He did the same, and linked his digit with Mikey's. "I promise." Their digits unlinked, and Raph started heading out of the kitchen. "C'mon. I gotta hear what the plan is."

Mikey beamed, following Raph. "It's an awesome plan!"

Once everyone filed into the lab, Donnie already had the plan drawn up on his board. "All right, here's the plan. It's not perfect, but its got the least amount of possible drawbacks." Raph gave an unamused look, and Donnie put both his hands in the center. "Hear me out, Raph. It's not going to go into action just yet; we need to give it a couple more weeks before we do our part."

"So we're still sitting aside for now?" Raph asked.

"I know it doesn't sound great, but if we want it to work, yes, we're going to have to wait it out just a bit more. Tiger Claw still has to give us intel. Until we get enough, we can't act. When we do, I'm going to give everyone the new gear set I've worked on to help us out. Half of us will have to basically be bait for Shredder's henchmen. The other half will sneak to where Shredder is residing. Tiger Claw will have to stay with the bait group so that his cover isn't blown. Once Shredder's henchmen are down, it'll be much easier for us to infiltrate Shredder's hideout. Sure, we'll have to deal with some bots, but those aren't as much of a challenge than the henchmen."

"When will the other half of you all know when it is time to join the others who are infiltrating Shredder's hideout?" Splinter asked.

"They can't immediately meet up with infiltration group. They're going to have to hang back a while so that, just in case something undesirable happens to the infiltration group, not every one of us is taken out. The infiltration group will give a signal through our T-Phones to the bait group and let them know when they can head inside Shredder's hideout. Shredder, hopefully, will be in any degree worn out from fighting the first group of us, and be overwhelmed with the bait group that comes in. Those in the infiltration group can start to recover and hopefully get a breather before they join in on the battle once again. Tiger Claw is going to have to make it look like he followed us and is fighting against us when we all arrive at the hideout. But when he gets close enough to Shredder, he's going to attack him and inject retromutagen into him. Shredder will lose a significant amount of strength."

Raph and Splinter were quiet for a moment. The only sound in the room was Raph drinking some water. Once he twisted the bottle shut once again, Raph nodded. "Okay, Donnie. Sounds like a good plan. We should prepare for Shreddder's henchmen to retaliate, though. Some of them always manage to follow us back and spring attack us."

"I've factored that in. The infiltration team will hang back for a while, just in case the bait team needs help and to time when to actually infiltrate the building. Some of those in the bait team can drive the shell buggy's. They aren't as loud and attention-grabbing as the van is, and they blend in with the dark. The new weaponry I'll supply by that time will be sure to either weaken or take down the henchmen if they start chasing after the bait team."

"You've accounted for most everything, Donatello," Splinter replied, an impressed look on his face. "This course of action should be carried out fairly well, even with the possible drawbacks."

Donnie beamed a toothy smile. "I know!" He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. "Anyways. That's the plan. The wait will be worth it, I promise."

"I am sure it will. Donatello, do not overwork yourself in the process of creating these new weapons you seem very excited about. A burnout will only draw back your progress."

"Hai, Sensei." Donnie couldn't keep a straight face anymore and started smiling again, in turn making Splinter smile. Splinter left the room, and the teens were starting to chirp excitedly about the plan. Raph shut the doors behind Splinter, taking in a deep breath as he pressed his hand against the metal doors. Noticing Raph hanging back, Donnie's smile faded. "Raph? Is something wrong?" Donnie asked. "Is there something about the plan you're worried about?"

"No, the plan's great," Raph replied. "It's really great."

"...the tone of your voice says otherwise," Donnie replied, feeling a bit worried and defensive all of a sudden. "If you have concerns or critiques, you should direct them to me, Raph. I assure- -"

"Donnie, it's not about the plan," Raph replied quickly, turning sharply to face him. He saw the surprised faces on Donnie's, April's, Casey's and Mikey's faces and sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound rash. It is a good plan, Donnie." Raph looked to Mikey, whose brows were raised with familiarity. "I need to tell you guys something." They looked invested now. "Y'know how Sensei made contact with Leo? I, uh," Raph rubbed the back of his head. "I did when I was napping. I talked to Leo. In the spiritual plane."

"What?!" The four said in unison. "What'd he say?"

Raph smiled a bit. "He said it's not at all the same without us. He's homesick as shell. Then he said that K- - Harmony- - is there with him. Before any of you ask 'who's Harmony?', it's Karai. She changed her name, her look, everything. She's trying to start over- - turning over a new leaf. She was already at the training place where Leo was sent by the time he was there, apparently. She said she went away to protect us, and that she didn't know that it was instead getting worse and making Shredder attack us more instead of going out to look for her. He doesn't know if she'll ever come back here."

"Woah," Casey breathed. "That's a little heavy. I mean, those four months- - did Leo tell her about that? Does she know that's why he's there?"

Raph shrugged. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Does Master Splinter know that she's over there?" April asked. Raph tensed a bit. "Raph."

"No, he doesn't. And I'm not sure if she wants that. Leo wants to respect her new lifestyle. I guess he's gonna ask her first before doing anything."

"Raph," Mikey said softly. "H-how did he look? Did he look... I dunno... did he look different?"

"He looked kind of... lost, I guess? Like he was out of place; like he didn't belong. He's probably still trying to adjust. It is a new country on the other side of the world, after all. I couldn't blame him. He said he'd get back here as soon as he could. He said he loves us."

"It sounds crazy, but m-maybe he'll be back before we carry out the plan!" Mikey chirped. Although his tone was upbeat, his eyes gave him away. "M-maybe he'll be back and help us take down Shredder! Maybe he'll... be back..." Mikey's voice grew soft, and he turned away from the others.

"Mikey..." Raph said, walking but then speeding up to his baby brother. Raph put his hand on Mikey's shoulder, but Mikey shrugged him away. "Mikey, it'll be okay," Raph spoke softly. He touched Mikey's shoulder again, and Mikey's breath hitched, his shoulders rising and falling. In seconds, he turned sharply and shoved himself in Raph's embrace, hiding his face from the others. Raph looked sadly down at his brother, wrapping his arms around him. "I know, little brother. I miss him a lot, too. We all do."

"B-but I m-miss h-him a l-lot," Mikey said in a shaky yet strained voice. "I w-want him to c-come back al-already."

Now, everyone had a hand on Mikey. "Leo will be back before you know it," April said, rubbing Mikey's shell.

"He'll come back, Mikey, don't worry," Donnie replied, his hand on Mikey's arm.

"He misses you a lot too, bro," Casey added, his hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Hey," Raph said, holding Mikey out a bit so he could see his face. "Maybe he will be back to fight with us. It could happen. Even if he doesn't, he will come back. You know he'd never stay away from us on purpose unless he thought it was absolutely necessary to. He'll be back. Okay?" Mikey nodded, resting his head on Raph's shoulder again. He started to calm down a bit. Donnie handed Raph a bottle, who then handed it to Mikey.

"You need to re-hydrate after letting all that out, Mikey," Donnie said, rubbing the top of Mikey's head as Mikey drank the water. "Here; do you want to see what I've got so far for the new weapons? I could use your creative input for other weapons that I probably wouldn't think of."

Mikey nodded, a small smile on his face. "Okay. Will there be explosives?"

Donnie scoffed, acting offended. "Do you even need to ask that? Of course!" Mikey smiled widely now, chuckling. "Let me show you. Come on."

As Donnie led Mikey away, April and Casey looked to Raph. "So she's really there?" Casey asked. "That's wild."

"Are you going to tell Splinter?" April asked. "Is Leo going to?"

"I'm not sure," Raph replied, answering both questions. "Should we? I mean, that's his daughter. I don't know how Sensei would react."

"We've all been worried about her, and we all know where and how she is now. It's unfair for us to not tell her father," April replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I would want to know how my child is when they just dropped off the face of the planet."

Raph's voice sounded strained as he said "Don't you think I know that? But she's tryna live a new life. If we tell Sensei when she doesn't want us to, things might get complicated."

"But why wouldn't she?" Casey asked.

"I don't know!" Raph replied in a harsh whisper. He shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Look. I wanna tell Sensei as much as you two do. But this ain't our decision to make whether or not we tell him. It's hers. Leo will either tell Sensei or me that she wants him to know if she says it's fine. If not, then," Raph looked them both in the eyes, his stare hardened, "we don't say a word. Capiche?"

April stared back at Raph with just as much intensity, but she saw that he was dead serious, and wasn't going to back down from her harsh glare. She growled under her breath a bit, breaking the stare and sighing. She turned her head sideways, then looked back at Raph. "Fine."

Raph turned his stare to Casey. "Jones."

"My lips are sealed, dude," Casey replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I ain't tryna get stared down by you, dude. And you're right. We gotta respect her decision."

"We don't let Tiger Claw know, either," Raph replied. "I know he's been on our side for a good while, but we can't always be too careful. Not. A. Word."

"Got it," April and Casey replied in unison. "I'll let the guys know," Casey said, turning to go tell Mikey and Donnie.

"How do you feel after seeing him?" April asked softly.

Raph's tension was gone, and he gave April a soft look. He smiled a bit, too. "It was great. Really great." He looked back at the three as they started to laugh about something, smiling fully now. "Really really great."


	35. The Other Side: Leo

Leo woke up with a startle, his eyes squinted as he saw a silhouette over him. He tensed up a bit, trying to remain calm as he tried to adjust to the sudden dim yet bright moonlight coming from his window. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the features of the figure above him. He looked down at their hand on his arm, where they were shaking him before to wake him up.

"Leo, are you awake?"

"I am now," Leo replied in a low whisper, his voice a bit husky. "What's going on?"

Harmony lowered her face down a bit to look Leo straight in the eyes. "You woke me up."

"I did? Sorry- - was I snoring or something? I don't think I'm a snorer, but- -"

"No, you weren't snoring. You were moving around a lot more than usual. Were you having a bad dream?"

"No, I'm fine. Sorry for waking you up." Leo, thinking that the conversation was over, turned on his side, shutting his eyes and trying to go back to sleep. He was startled when Harmony roughly grabbed his upper arm and manually turned him around, making him face her. "Hey!- - what's the problem?"

"Once I'm up out of bed, I can't go back to sleep. So, you're going to stay awake with me, whether you like it or not."

"I do not like it," Leo mumbled as Harmony pulled the covers off of him. He swung his feet on the side of the bed, starting to slowly stand. "You know, we're gonna be tired by the time we need to train."

"I know. That's why we'll both get the heat about it instead of just me." Harmony smiled as Leo scowled at her. "Grab something warm to cover yourself with. It's a little chilly tonight."

Leo rummaged around the sparse clothes lying around, searching for a jacket or sweater. "You got a plan for our late night adventure?" Leo asked. "I'm expecting to be out and about. If we're not, you're going to be dealing with a grumpy turtle."

"Am I not already?" Karai replied smugly, earning a grunt from Leo as he finally found a jacket. "We're gonna head out to get something to eat."

"Isn't it a bit late to go out for food?" Leo asked, sliding the jacket over himself and zipping it up. "If you're hungry, we have plenty to eat here."

"Please, Leo. Something's always open. People work graveyard shifts, and I'm sure they'd be going someone to get food, no matter how late it is." They both turned to head out of the room, but she halted. "Actually, you might want to dress up in one of your outfits since we're going out."

Leo sighed a bit. "Yeah, okay." He searched for an outfit in the dim moonlight. He just threw on whatever felt long and put on some shoes. He hated wearing shoes; they were really uncomfortable for him. He grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his neck and lower half of his face as best he could. He slid on a beanie with a lid on it, then trailed behind Harmony as they both sneaked out of the house. The streetlights provided more light, and when Harmony turned to say something to Leo, she stopped and started to smile, looking humored. Leo, confused, asked "what?"

"You didn't look at what you threw on, did you?"

Leo looked down at himself, seeing what she found amusing. He was wearing night sky sweatpants with little teddy bears, with their heads resting on a pillow and holding onto a blanket, spread across it. His shoes were bright red, and his shirt was a blue and white fuzzy long sleeve. His scarf was dark green and his beanie was orange. He sighed, smiling a bit as she laughed. "Maybe this is what I wanted to wear."

"Why do you even have clothes like that?" She asked, snickering.

"I get cold, for one; two, I like the night sky and space. They were the only comfortable pants that had one of those. Three, I am tired and I couldn't care less right now."

"Fine, fine," Harmony replied, calming down a bit. "Don't get all snappy on me. Let's just go."

"Where are we going?" Leo asked, walking at her side.

"There's a place that's open all hours. Not too far, just a couple minutes away. My friend is waiting for us there."

"Friend?"

"You don't believe I have other friends?"

"That's not what I meant," Leo replied, smiling. "You never mentioned them before. I've been here for a good while, too, so I was just surprised."

"Yeah, well, I just needed to make sure you two would be okay with each other."

"I'm a nice guy," Leo replied, a smug look on his face as Harmony raised a brow. "Come on. I am so super nice."

"You're pushing it, Mr. Nice Guy," Harmony replied, chuckling as Leo posed a bit. "I know you're nice. But sometimes, people just don't hit it off. I wanted you two to get along, so I was waiting." Harmony looked ahead of her and stopped. "Oh, we're already here. That was quick. Let's go in." She led the way, with Leo trailing behind her and trying to cover as much of his face as he could as they entered the doors. The place was practically empty; there were only 5 occupied booths and the quiet music was louder than the conversations going on.

"Hi, how many? 2?" A host asked, a polite but tired smile on their face.

"Actually, we're meeting up with someone." Harmony pointed to the booth they were going to sit at. "Over there."

"Okay, right this way," the host replied, grabbing two menus and leading them to the booth. Once Leo and Harmony sat down, the host set the two menus in front of them. "Any drinks?"

"Hot tea for me, please," Leo replied, keeping his face lowered.

"Just a water is fine," Harmony said, giving a polite smile.

"Okay, your server will come back with your drinks," the host replied, giving a polite smile once again before they left.

"Man, he's a bit suspicious, MiMi, don't you think?"

Leo looked up from the table as the woman laughed politely, a warm smile on her face. She had her hair up in a messy bun and looked like she was wearing casual but comfortable clothes. She had on some natural eye shadow and it looked as if she had applied chap stick. Her mug of coffee had some coffee on the side, so Leo assumed that she either spilled some over while making it the way she liked or that she had gotten a second filling of it. She looked nice, and she looked a bit tired like Leo assumed he looked.

"He's quiet," she said, looking at Harmony. "Didn't know you befriended that kind."

Leo's breath hitched a bit, and he looked to Harmony. "Be nice," Harmony replied, smiling a bit. "He's a wild guy, trust me. He's just really cautious."

"Oh, so am I, though," she replied. "Even though he seems suspicious, looking away most of the time, his taste is a bit out there."

Harmony laughed a bit, trying to stop when Leo sighed a bit. "Does she know what I am?" Leo asked Harmony. "I don't want to scare your friend."

"Why don't you find out?" Harmony replied, giving him a smug look as he looked stricken at her response.

"Shell, are you crazy?" Leo whispered harshly. He was about to say more when the server came, and he lowered his head again. "Thank you." Harmony told the server they weren't ready to order yet, and the server left. "Harmony. Are you kidding me."

"Leonardo, come on, you've seen my face; show me yours," Harmony's friend replied, resting her head in her hand as she smiled.

"How did you know my name?" Leo looked at Harmony again. "You told her my name, but you didn't tell me her name? Not fair!"

She laughed, amused. "I'll tell you if you show me your face, mutant."

Leo froze, trying to calm down. He was getting really suspicious. He knew Harmony would never sell him out, but this was just too sketchy. He was planning possible routes of escape and ways to evade making too much damage to the establishment if he had to fight. His hand tightened around his cup of tea, and he was kind of freaking out. He felt totally cornered.

"Leo- -! Loosen up your grip, you're gonna break that cup," Harmony warned him. "Jesus, I think you freaked him out."

Harmony's friend pulled back a bit. "Did I? Oh crap, I must have sounded a bit like an enemy when I said mutant- -" she lowered her face down onto the table, trying to see Leo's eyes. He turned his face away and lowered it more, evading her eyes. "Leonardo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem like I was threatening you. MiMi just told me you were a mutant and that you were nice, but I don't know what kind of mutant you are. I was just poking fun." She clicked her tongue at herself, raising her head. "I think I screwed up at making friends with him."

Leo took a deep breath before he turned back to face her way, and he tilted his head up a bit. "Sorry. I'm just really cautious."

She was genuinely surprised that he was talking directly to her now. "I understand, don't worry."

Leo took in another deep breath, raising his head up. He was thankful that he was sat on the side of the booth with the wall covering his entire body and head, and that there were no other people on this side of the establishment. He lowered his scarf and raised his beanie up a bit, staying still as Harmony's friend observed him.

"A turtle? That's interesting. Were you a turtle when you were born or were you mutated into one?" Seeing Leo's hesitation at answering, she smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"I-it's fine," Leo replied, clearing his throat. "I was born a turtle. I'm, uh, Leonardo. Sorry, you already knew that. I'm weird, I- -" Leo rubbed the back of his neck, starting to feel stupid. "Shell, I'm embarrassing myself."

She laughed, smiling at him warmly again. "It's okay. I did kind of make you feel in danger, so I understand. My name is Shinigami. It's nice to meet you."

Leo finally gave a small but polite smile, reaching his hand across the table. She took his hand and they shook it once. "Nice to meet you, Shinigami." They removed their hands. "So, how did you meet Harmony? Did she trying fighting you for fun, too?"

Shini raised her eyebrows, looking at Harmony. "You fought him and he's your friend?" Shini asked, an amused look on her face.

Harmony was the one who now looked a bit sheepish. Leo snorted a bit, amused at how dumbfounded she looked. "I knew him before he came to Japan," Harmony replied, smiling. "I met him before I came here."

"Oh, wow, that's cool," Shini replied. "Well, Harmony and I have been friends since we were kids. I missed her a lot while she was away. I was thinking of going to New York to see her, but she came back before I could plan to." She looked at Leo. "Why did you come here? Did you want to come here, too?"

Leo looked a little sheepish to answer the question. "I, uh, I was sent here for training. We bumped into each other. I didn't know she was here when I arrived."

"Ooh, training! You both love training? What kind of training were you sent here for?"

Harmony glanced at Leo nervously, but he didn't look back. "We're both doing the same training," Harmony replied, trying to move on.

"I was sent here to control my anger," Leo replied. Shini and Harmony both looked at him in surprise.

"Your anger? You don't seem like one to be sent away for anger," Shini replied.

"Everyone gets angry," Harmony replied. "But he's getting better." She looked at Leo again, trying to get his attention, but he turned away from her, crossing his arms over his plastron. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Jeez, I didn't know you were still this upset about it, Leo."

"Sorry, did I bring up a touchy subject?" Shini asked. "Leonardo, I'm sorry, you don't have to answer. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not that," Harmony replied for him. "I'm the reason why he was sent here for anger."

Shini looked between the both of them. "But you two seem to get along very well, if that's true?"

"When I fled New York, I left my family and friends behind without much of an explanation. Leo's my family, so he was one of the people who were left clueless and wondering why I left. He got broody and distant, and he lashed out in a really bad way. Our father sent him out here so that he could train to find better ways to control his emotions and advance in his training." Harmony leaned back into the booth, sighing. "It's my fault."

It was silent for a moment. "It's both of our faults," Leo replied in a cool tone, finally facing Harmony. "Sorry. I did tell you it was going to take me time." He looked at Shini now. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm just homesick and I'm really hard on myself for what I did. It's touchy for me, but I do need to work on it rather than avoiding it."

Shini gave a polite smile. "O-okay. So, do you two do mutant training together?"

Harmony held her breath, her eyes shutting. Leo and Shini looked at her, confused. "Harmony?"

"I didn't tell him- -"

"Oh, he doesn't know? Sorry, MiMi, I- -"

"No, he knows, I just didn't tell him I was training in my mutant form."

"Why is that bad?" Leo asked. "I know about your mutant form, it doesn't make me uncomfortable or anything like that."

"Forget it," Harmony replied, sighing and giving them a smile. Before they could try to bring it up again, she asked "so, Leo, what do you think of Shini?"

"She's nice, she's funny, too," Leo replied. "I'm just wondering if she sees me as a dorky weird mutant. That's usually the first impression I give people, anyhow."

Shini laughed again. "Nice and funny, really? I think I came off as a bit rude, but to each of their own. Harmony did say you were a bit dorky, but I don't mind dorky."

Leo looked at Harmony now. "Really. You told her that."

"I mean, it's true." They all laughed, and from then on, they got to know each other better and started telling each other memories of one of the others. They were there for an hour and a half, and the staff didn't seem to mind. After they couldn't even handle their drinks anymore, they decided they should leave the restaurant. They left a tip, said goodbye to the staff, and resumed their conversation outside for a bit. After a while, though, Shini was getting tired.

"This has been fun," Shini said, covering her mouth as she yawned. "But I need my beauty rest. It was nice to meet you, Leonardo. We should all three hang together some time soon, before you leave, turtle."

Leo nodded, smiling. "Sounds like a plan. And you can call me Leo. Have a good night, Shinigami."

"And you can call me Shini," she replied. "Good night, you two; don't get into too much trouble." They all parted ways.

Leo started walking alongside Harmony as they walked. "Shini is really nice; she's like you, but nicer," Leo said, smiling as Karai rolled his eyes at him but laughed as she did. "Look, I'm sorry again for getting silent about the whole thing."

"It's okay, you don't need to apologize. I get it. I get homesick a lot too," Harmony replied, smiling a bit at Leo's surprised expression. "Yes, Leo, I have feelings, too."

"No, I didn't mean it like that- - I just thought you would be less homesick since you've been here a while."

"That's dumb," Harmony replied. "I miss New York. I miss my father, you- - our brothers and friends. I missed the little moments I got to enjoy. Sometimes, I regret leaving, but I just didn't see how things would get better if I was still there."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Leo fell silent, looking around. He stopped suddenly, and Harmony stopped and turned to see why he had stopped. "I- I need to tell you something. It's not bad or anything like that."

Harmony walked in front of him, looking at him intently. "What is it?"

"The reason I was moving around a lot and woke you up- - it was because I made contact with Raph on the spiritual plane."

Harmony's hands fell to her side. "Really?" She looked at Leo, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I also made contact with Master Splinter, but it was before I fell asleep."

"Are they okay? Are they in trouble?"

"No, they're fine. But... I don't know if this is bad, but I told Raphael that you were here." When he saw Harmony's eyebrows raise and her arms cross over her chest, he began to feel guilty. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out, but that doesn't excuse it at all. I didn't tell Master Splinter, though."

"Why not?"

"I forgot, for the most part. I was so caught up in that I was talking to him that I forgot about everything else. I might make contact with him soon, but I don't know if you want me to tell him that you're here. I know you're trying to live a new life, so I don't want to jeopardize that for you."

"But you already told Raph. Raph must have told the others that I'm here, and sooner or later, Splinter is either going to overhear or they're going to tell him."

Leo's guilt was getting worse. "I-I know, and I'm sorry. I know Raph has told them by now not to say a word to Sensei. We all want to respect your wishes as best as we can. I'm so sorry, Harmony. I get it if you're mad at me, you have every right to be."

"I'm not mad."

Leo looked at her. "Y-you're not?"

"No," Harmony replied, giving him a reassuring look. "You can tell him. Tell him I'm safe, too, and that I miss him. Tell Raph that I miss him and the others, too. I may be trying to live a new life, but my real family is the reason why I'm trying to live a new life and am able to. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you all. Tell them, okay? Tell father that I miss him, and I'm sorry I caused him sorrow."

Leo fell silent again for a moment, then he smiled at Harmony. "I have a better idea. Instead of me telling him, you'll tell him yourself."


	36. The Other Side: Harmony

"Why do we have to be outside?"

"We don't have to, but nature tends to make you focus more."

"I'm not sure if I can do this."

"Sure you can! I know you can."

"Mr. Optimistic here," Harmony mumbled. "I'm not sure if I can do this on the first try, Leo. I mean, the spiritual plane? That sounds a bit difficult to reach, and I haven't had much experience with spirituality."

"The Ancient One has been teaching us about spirituality for the past couple of days, though- -"

"Doesn't mean I completely understand how to make contact or even get into the spiritual plane."

Leo sighed, sitting down on the grass, then motioning for her to do the same. "Do you want me to try to bring you in there?"

Harmony gave him a puzzled look as she sat down. "You mean, you get in the spiritual plane first, then you drag me in there?"

"Yeah," Leo replied slowly. "Or do you not want to do that?"

"I mean, I should at least try to learn how to get in the spiritual plane by myself," she replied, sighing. "If I can't crack it, we'll do what you suggested. But I want to try."

Leo nodded. "Okay. Close your eyes; relax. Focus on your breathing. Focus on feeling the air filling your lungs and releasing it, and repeat. Try not to let any other thoughts in your mind, just focus on breathing."

"How will I know when I'm in?"

"You'll know."

Harmony scowled at Leo, but relaxed her face right after. She took in a deep breath, focusing on her breathing. She tried to clear of other thoughts as best as she could. It felt like forever, just waiting for the 'feeling.' She was about to give up and open her eyes when she felt a strange and sudden pressure on her shoulders and chest. She wasn't sure if it was because of how she was breathing or something else, but the more she focused on the feeling, the stronger it got. Part of her wanted to see if it was an outside force, but the other part of her kept herself in place. The pressure was suddenly gone, and it was a few seconds before she dared to open her eyes.

Leo smiled at her. "You did it," he said. "Just, be wary of your movement. Everything here feels a little slower than real time, so you could get dizzy." He offered his hand to help her up. She took it, slowly standing up and focusing on her breathing as she understood what Leo warned her about.

She let her hand fall. "Thanks. So, how do I tell him?"

"Well, he'd have to be in the plane, too, but I don't know a way to know when he's in here or not. We just have to wait; we are in different time zones, after all."

"Oh, alright," Harmony replied.

"I know, I'm sorry," Leo said right after. "But it should be morning time over there, and he's usually up before any of us. He meditates until we get up, so hopefully he's meditating right now."

Harmony smiled a bit. "Okay, nice." They fell into a comfortable silence. After a couple of minutes, she sighed. "You miss him a lot, don't you?"

Leo looked straight ahead. "Of course I do. I miss everyone."

"I just feel bad because, we were getting to know each other so much, and I just suddenly left. I just want to tell him how much it means to me that he still accepted me, even after being raised by Shredder."

"I will always accept you, my daughter."

Both Leo and Harmony turned around sharply at his voice, big smiles on their faces. "Father," they said in unison.

Leo opened his mouth, but closed it, turning to look at Harmony. He gave her a small smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you two your time alone."

Harmony turned to face Leo, a worried look on her face. "Don't you...?"

Leo chuckled a bit. "This is your time. Don't worry. Just talk to him." Leo looked at Splinter, smiling warmly. "I'll talk to you soon, Sensei."

Leo faded away before their eyes, and now it was just them. Harmony had so many thoughts in her head of what to say, but it wouldn't come out. She looked at her father, a warm and welcoming smile on his face as he looked at her. She wondered what was going through his mind. She took a few steps toward him, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked down shyly, then swiftly wrapped her arms around him. She hugged him tightly. Splinter smiled and hugged her back, letting her choose when to break the hug. It was a while before she finally let go, smiling warmly at him as she backed up a bit.

Harmony's smile fell a bit, and she looked serious. "Father... I'm sorry for just suddenly disappearing without telling you. I just... I wanted to protect you. I wanted to protect you all from Shredder. I thought me being away would make Shredder back down from attacking you all. I guess I was wrong, though. If you had any thoughts like if it was because of you, it really wasn't. I really wanted to stay behind because I loved getting to know you. I... I'm sorry, father."

"I understand, Miwa. I was worried about your well being and how you were adjusting, but I see you've been well. You look very different."

"Good different?"

Splinter laughed warmly. "Of course. You look like your mother."

Harmony looked up sharply. "I do?"

Splinter nodded, sliding out a picture from behind him. He stepped towards her, holding the picture out to her. It was a picture of Tang Shen. Harmony took it in her hands, looking at it. "You and your mother are a lot alike. She would be proud to see how you've grown."

Harmony smiled down at the picture, imagining how her mother would be if she saw her now. "I'm sorry for what happened to her. She didn't deserve it."

"Your mother would be immensely happy to know that you are alive and well. She wanted you to have the best of what life could offer you."

Harmony handed the picture back to Splinter. "How would you feel if I told you that I'm not sure if I'll return to New York or not?"

Splinter's smile fell a bit, but it came back. "With the Ancient One, I am assured you are in good hands. No matter where you go, Miwa, I will be okay so long as I know you are well. I, nor anyone else, can tell you how to live your life. Only you can. Whatever you choose, I will respect it. As long as it makes you happy, that is all that matters to me."

Harmony smiled, nodding. "I renamed myself."

"Oh? What name?"

"Harmony."

"Harmony." Splinter smiled once again. "It sounds beautiful. Would you like me to call you Harmony for now on?"

"I'm fine with you calling me Miwa. I just don't want to be called Karai anymore. I want to leave any parts relating to Shredder behind me. I know he'll always be a part of my past, but I want to make a new life for myself." Splinter nodded in understanding. "Father, can you do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Can you tell the others that I miss them, and that I just wanted to protect them? That I love and thank them? I hope one day I can tell them myself, but could you pass along the message?"

"I will, my daughter. Speaking of, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo seem to be awake now. I must go."

"Okay. I love you, Father. Thank you for accepting me."

Splinter laid a hand on her shoulder, then cupped her cheek. "I will always love and accept you." His hands fell as he faded away, and they waved goodbye to each other. Harmony took a minute to collect herself as she sat back down and waited to exit the spiritual plane. She waited for the pressure to subside before she opened her eyes again. She took in a deep breath, slowly looking up. She looked at her sides, a bit surprised to not see Leo on either side. She slowly stood up, readjusting to the real time, and started to go towards the house. She tried to keep as quiet as she could as she searched the rooms, trying to find Leo. She was a bit confused when she didn't see him anywhere, especially in his room. She looked out the window, peering out to see if he was out there. Sure enough, he was, slightly hiding behind a tree. She wasn't sure how she didn't see him, but she wasn't worried anymore now that she knew where he was.

She went into her room and took off the layers of clothes she didn't need to sleep in, climbing into her bed. She was sure that they were both going to be very tired by the time it was time to train, so she wanted to get as much sleep as she could. It was a bit difficult to sleep with all the thoughts going through her head, though. She tossed and turned, getting a bit frustrated that she, one, couldn't sleep, and two, didn't hear Leo sneaking back in by now. She waited a bit longer, and finally sat up in her bed when she didn't hear any sneaking steps by that time. She slowly sneaked out of her room into Leo's, peering out his window again. She saw him sitting in the middle of the grass, his hands behind him and supporting his upper half of his body as he leaned back. He seemed to be looking at the night sky. She grabbed the blanket off his bed and cloaked it around herself, slowly going through the house and going out to meet Leo outside. She looked down at him, seeing that his gaze from the sky didn't tear away, even though she was right next to him.

"Earth to Leo," she said softly. It was a couple of seconds before his gaze finally flickered to her. "You okay?" He simply nodded, looking back at the sky again. She sighed and sat down next to him. "Are you sure? You seem to be spacing out."

Leo took a couple of seconds again, sighing and tilting his head down. "Just thinking is all."

"You wanna share your thoughts with the class?"

Leo smiled a bit at that, then his smile fell. "It's a lot. I'm not sure you'd believe it. I sometimes think it was all just one big dream. Or nightmare. Maybe both."

Harmony looked at him with a bit of a concerned look. "Maybe you should share. It sounds heavy, and I don't even know what it is."

Leo seemed to be pondering about whether to tell her or not. After a while, he smiled politely and shook his head. "Another time." He turned to face her. "So, how was the talk with Sensei?"

Harmony took a moment to decide whether she should press him to tell her, but instead she replied "it was really nice."

Leo sat up, rotating his wrists to get feeling back in them as he smiled at her warmly. "That's great! Did you say everything you wanted?"

"I hope so. It was just so nice to talk and see him again. I really miss him a lot. It felt like I was really with him."

"Well, in a sense, you were."

Harmony playfully nudged Leo with her elbow. "Yeah, yeah, o-wise-one. My point is, it was just good to talk to him again. I hope we can talk again soon."

"He meditates a lot, so you could probably talk to him anytime."

"True. I just kind of wish I could talk to the others, too. Like you did with Raph."

Leo smiled, nodding. "So do I. I want to talk to and see all of them one-on-one. I hope they're holding up okay."

Harmony nodded, agreeing. "To family," she said, looking up at the sky.

Leo chuckled a bit, looking at the sky. "To family."


	37. An Announcement

7 weeks had passed by. The turtles, April and Casey were all anxiously waiting for the time to act on the plan they had made. Tiger Claw had gathered enough intel for their plan to take action, but Tiger Claw was putting the teens on stand-by still. They had pressed Tiger Claw to let the plan set off already, but he was not budging at all. He insisted they wait for a little longer, when Shredder was less suspicious; and that in itself was difficult to determine. Raph and Sensei had been able to meet with Leo in the spiritual plane almost on a daily basis. But as the weeks went by, Leo seemed to have been going in the spiritual plane less and less. It was worrying them both. It was the same with Harmony; she was making less contact with Splinter as well. Whenever either of them asked what was going on, Leo and Harmony simply replied "training."

They weren't lying; their training was getting more rigorous and intense with the Ancient One. It took a lot of their energy, time and patience. Sometimes, they were too tired to be able to go into the spiritual plane, no matter how much they wanted to talk to the others. Sometimes, they couldn't seem to concentrate. Sometimes, they just couldn't because of training. They talked to the Ancient One about it. All he said was "when you're meant to be in the spiritual plane, you will be there. If you're not, you won't. Now stop panicking about it; you'll mess up your connection with the spiritual plane and you'll be less focused on the training!"

"But, Ancient One- -"

"No buts. You cannot stress yourself about it. You must be in a tranquil or calm state of mind to enter the spiritual plane. The more you stress about not being able to enter it, the less you'll be able to enter it. You have to go about it in a calm and concentrated manner, or you won't be able to go into it. Right now, you need to be focusing on our training."

Harmony was not at all satisfied with the answer. "The training isn't helping with the spiritual plane situation, either! Sometimes we can't go into the spiritual plane because we're overworked and tired and sore from the constant training."

"You came here for more intense training, and that is what you are getting. If you don't want to be apart of my training anymore, there's the door! I'm not forcing you or begging you to stay and continue training, so if you're not satisfied, don't let the door hit you on the way out." Harmony and Leo looked taken aback at his subtle threat, frozen in their place. The Ancient One took a deep breath and turned to go into his house. "If either of you are still wanting to train, we'll continue later. Otherwise, do not bother staying."

Once he was inside, Harmony growled lowly and stomped the ground, her hands balled into tight fists. Leo let her have a minute before speaking. "Got it out of your system yet?"

She ran her hand through her hair, which had grown a little longer. "I really showed him, huh?" she laughed sarcastically. Leo smiled sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, you showed him what for."

"And he did the same." She sighed, turning to Leo. "I'm just- - I'm so frustrated that we can't talk to them as much as we want to!"

"I know. I am too." Leo breathed out a long breath. "But we're learning a lot. AO is right; we came here to improve, and we have, but we still have more to learn."

"I guess I need a refresher on how to channel anger," Harmony joked, both of them smiling a bit. "I should apologize to him, shouldn't I?"

Leo smiled a nervous grin. "If you want AO to not give you his not-so-funny sass, I suggest you do."

Harmony took a deep breath, nodding and slowly heading into the little house. She lightly tapped the wood frame of the entrance of the kitchen, watching as AO turned his head. "Can I talk to you?"

He turned his head back around, rummaging through his fridge. "I don't know, can you?"

"I can, but I don't know if you want me to."

AO rolled his eyes, pointing her to a chair as he grabbed his food and shut the fridge door. He took a seat, waiting for her to speak. When she hadn't for a while, he sighed and set down his food. "Are you going to talk or not?"

"I was going to wait for you to finish eating. Didn't want you to choke on your food if you talked with your mouth full."

"Are you implying I'm a baby?" He saw her tense, and he sighed again. "Harmony, I am only teasing. Lighten up!"

Harmony smiled hesitantly. "I just... I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to imply you or the training is the reason for our problems- - we just want to talk to the others back home, and the only line of communication being thinned- - it's just agonizing."

"I know it's frustrating. Your focus is on your training, and your exhaustion and spent energy is also a factor. But you will be able to talk to them, I promise. I'm sorry that you're both feeling overwhelmed. If you need me to tone it down a notch for a while, just tell me. Maybe you're not ready for this kind of training and I pushed it upon you two before you were."

"No, we are ready. We just want to talk to the others, is all. I'm sorry for questioning your method. I didn't mean to. So... are we cool?"

AO laughed a bit. "Yes, we are cool, as you say it. Now go out with Shinigami for a bit and have fun before you come back. I have something in store for the next session."

"What is it?"

"You will find out later, nosy! Now go already, Shinigami is heading her way over here to meet up with you and Leonardo."

"Come on, AO, just tell me!"

"Don't you two beg for time out of the house? Don't make me send her back home!"

"Fiiiiine," Harmony whined, trudging outside. "Bye, old man."

"Bye, pesky teenager!"

Harmony walked outside, walking towards Shinigami and Leo laughing about something. They both turned to look at Harmony, and Shinigami beamed. "MiMi! You ready to go?"

"Let me go grab some things before we head out," Leo said, running inside the house.

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"Just window shopping; looking and trying on things we wish we could afford," Shini replied.

"Ah, yeah, 'cause I love thinking of what could be," Harmony replied, smiling as Shini laughed a bit. They turned their heads as Leo came back out in a casual disguise. "Ready, Leo?"

"Honestly, how do you guys handle all these clothes? I'm already starting to feel warmer than usual, and we haven't even left yet."

"Lethargic, much?" Shini replied, patting his cheek. "Lazy, lazy turtle."

"Ha ha," Leo replied, rolling his eyes. "Let's just go already." They headed off, being away from the house for a good few hours. They returned as the orange and yellow from the dusk sky had disappeared, and the moon was starting to set in. Leo had immediately started peeling away the unnecessary layers of clothing as they approached the house, breathing in relief as he felt not so warm anymore. "Finally," he said. "I definitely loved trying on different materials of clothes that just made me more and more warm!"

Shini and Harmony laughed as he struggled to pull off another item of clothing. "Man, I think stripping out in the open is unethical, Leo," Shini said as he finally pulled the clothing off.

"Are you trying to get arrested? Or better yet, are you trying to impress us? 'Cause only one of those things are likely to happen," Harmony joked, she and Shini bursting into laughter again and Leo glared at her a bit.

"Very funny, but I only need to impress myself, and I gotta say, I'm a pretty darn good lookin' turtle," Leo replied, smiling as he removed the last piece of clothing. He frowned again, groaning and throwing a hand on his head, sliding it down. "Shell, we're about to train. There goes my seconds of feeling cool. Right back at feeling too warm again."

"Don't worry, Leo; those seconds of being cool never happened," Shini joked, smiling innocently as Leo looked fake offended.

"You got me there," Leo said, laughing along with them. "I'm gonna go in and drink a jug of water before we start training, then. Thanks for taking us out on the town, Shini." He smiled at her warmly, then turned and started heading towards the house.

"Hamato Leonardo," Shini yelled suddenly, her voice sounding harsh. Leo froze, his skin now full of goosebumps. She never used his full name, and he had no idea why she was now. He slowly turned his head to look at her. "I can't believe you right now." She gave him a hard glare, making Leo gulp and get a cold sweat. In a matter of seconds, her threatening look was warm and bright as she smiled, holding her arms out. "What, no hug?"

Leo finally breathed out, not realizing he was holding his breath. "Shell, Shinigami, you scared me half to death. I swear, if looks could kill," he replied. "I don't know if you deserve a hug for almost killing me."

"Aw, come on, I took you out and treated you with some food; I deserve a hug," she retorted, smiling as Leo rolled his eyes and started talking towards her. He opened his arms as he approached her, chuckling. When he got close enough, he suddenly glomped his arms around her, hugging her tightly and taking her by surprise. She groaned and resisted for a few seconds, but then laughed and hugged him back. She pushed him away, punching his arm as he started to go to the house. "That wasn't very nice of you, Leonardo!"

"Good night, Shinigami!" Leo yelled, waving back at her as he stepped into the house. He went into the kitchen and greeted AO as he grabbed a glass cup and turned on the water, filling it up and gulping it down, repeating this process.

AO raised his brow, looking at Leo. "My water bill is going to cost a fortune, thanks to you," he joked.

Leo chuckled a bit, refilling it again. "Sorry; I really don't get how humans can stand wearing clothes for so long without sweating excessively."

"We must suffer for a decent society," AO replied. "How was it?"

"It was fun; we tried on a lot of things, and Shinigami treated us to some food. It was a nice time. Thanks for letting us have a break from training."

"Yes, well, after training, I have something to announce."

"What is it?"

"What is it with you teenagers being so impatient?" AO sighed. "I will tell you after training. Hurry and drink up, training is in a matter of minutes."

"Fiiiiiine," Leo whined as AO left him to rehydrate. After their training, Leo and Harmony grabbed their water bottles and drank every last drop. It took a minute for them to catch their breath.

"Excellent training! That's all for today, we resume tomorrow." AO was about to head inside when Leo suddenly coughed. He turned around, a bit worried. "Leonardo, are you alright?"

Leo waved him off, taking a minute to get his breathing again. "Y-you said you had something after training," Leo breathed out.

"Oh, right," AO replied. He was a both excited yet hesitant to make his announcement.

After some minutes of silence, Harmony and Leo glanced at each other in confusion. "...is this a test of silence or something?" Harmony asked.

"Shhh!" AO replied. "Okay, okay. Here it is. Leonardo."

"...yes?" Leo asked.

"You've been here for quite a while, and- -"

"Are you kicking me out?" Leo asked, his voice sounding a bit panicky. "Did I do something wrong? What is it? I'll do whatever I can to fix it, I'm so- -"

"SHHHHH! I'm not kicking you out!"

"You're wording your announcement in a way that makes it sound like I did something wrong! I'm kind of worried, sorry!"

"My announcement is not bad!"

"You sat in silence and had a weird look, though! What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Leonardo! Let me- -"

"Just tell me what I need to do to fix whatever I did! I want to try to fix my wrongdoing before you suddenly kick me out, please- -"

"I'm not kicking you out, Leonardo! **I was going to say that you can go back home!** "


	38. The Response

"...what," Leo breathed out after the seconds of holding his breath, "did you just..."

"Are you sure you're not kicking him out? It pretty much sounds like you just kicked him out, AO," Harmony replied. She turned to Leo, rubbing his shell. "AO, this is a pretty harsh thing of you to do out of the blue."

AO growled, frustrated. "I am not kicking him out! Would you two just listen to me?" They both looked up at him, waiting for him to explain himself. "Okay. Leonardo, you came here to get better training and to properly assess your feelings over the 4 months you had distanced yourself from your loved ones. You have progressed very well. You sorted out your feelings, and you've handled the rigorous training very well. Basically, you've learned everything you needed to. Unless you just want to extend your stay and learn more, which I don't mind, there's no reason for you to not hop on the next ride back to New York and return to your family."

With wide eyes and mouth agape, Leo was stunned into silence. Harmony was as well. "I... I can go home?" Leo asked softly and under his breath. "I... I can go back to New York? To my family?"

AO breathed out, relieved that they both actually listened to him this time and let him finish. "Yes, Leonardo, you can go home. Not right this second, if you don't want to, but whenever you're ready. You can officially go home." He looked between the two teens. "...clearly, you both need some time to process this news. I'm going to inside, have a snack, and go to bed. Good night."

They both lamely waved as he left them alone, and they sat in silence for a good while. Harmony had dropped her hand from Leo's shell and wrapped her arms around her knees. Leo's body felt both tense and limp, and he fell back onto the grass, staring up at the sky. After almost half an hour, one of them finally spoke up.

"I can go home," Leo breathed out. He kept repeating it to himself, making sure that the moment was real, that what he had just heard was real and not in his mind. "I... I can see them, I can physically see them..." He suddenly sprung up, shouting to the world "I CAN GO HOME!" He had a huge grin on his face, and he kept throwing his hands in the air and pacing around. After a while of shouting and moving around, he tired himself out and sat back down, but the smile never left his face. "I can't believe I can really go back." He turned to face Harmony. "Can you believe it? I can really- -" he stopped mid sentence, his smile fading as he looked at her. "Hey... what's going on?"

"You can go back," Harmony said under her breath. "It's surreal. It's been so long. You've been here for so long; I knew someday you were going to go back, but I guess I just forgot, 'cause you were here."

Leo nodded. "I forgot, too. This feels so bizarre."

"Believe me, I'm happy for you, Leo; this is what you were training for and all. It's just going to be weird."

"What is?"

"You not being here. You can leave any day, any time, with no warning."

"Harmony," Leo said, grabbing her attention. "I'm not going to leave without saying goodbye to you. I wouldn't just suddenly drop out of your life and leave you like you were never a part of my life or something."

Harmony laughed dryly. "Yeah, like I did to you and the others, right? 'Cause you're better than me?"

Leo felt his heart racing. "That's not at all what I meant!" Leo replied quickly. "I didn't mean to make it sound like I was still mad at you, I was just- -"

"I know, I know," Harmony replied, cutting him off. "Sorry. That was more towards myself than you. It's just, I always think about how you all must have felt when I suddenly left without any warning. When you put it like that, I thought about it again, and I guess that's what you all must have felt like."

Leo sighed softly. "We were upset, but we didn't ever for a second think that you never cared about us. You left us a note, Harmony."

"Yeah, a piece of paper with words totally makes up for a face to face goodbye."

Leo laid a hand on her shoulder, gripping it gently. "Stop. You left a note, and that's better than nothing at all. If you really didn't care about us, you wouldn't have left anything behind at all, and you would have left us out to dry for the bad guys to capture us. You're not a bad person for wanting to have a fresh start. You were trying to protect us, Harmony. We aren't mad at you. We're just glad you're okay, safe, and happy with your new life."

Harmony was quiet for a few minutes. "You really are a dork," she replied, smiling as Leo rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that. I didn't mean to make it all about me. It must be really exciting to know you can go home and see the others after such a long time; they'll be so happy to see you again."

Leo smiled now. "It's going to be so great- - I just don't know when I'm going to leave. I want to hop on the next boat, but I want to just enjoy my last few moments here, you know?"

Harmony nodded. "Either way, going back home is going to be great for you. I wish I could see them all again. It'd be really nice."

Leo's smile faded for a moment, his eyes widened, his smile returned and he looked directly at Harmony. "Why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?"

"Why don't you come and see them again?" Leo replied. "You could see them again! Why don't you come back with me!" Harmony fell in silence, lowering the shoulder Leo had his hand on and making it slip off. Leo's smile fell again, and he gave her a confused look. He caught on after a few seconds, and he felt bad. "I'm sorry- - I didn't mean to overwhelm you. It was only a suggestion, I didn't mean to make you feel like I was trying to force you to come with me or anything. I was caught up in my excitement, I forgot about the whole Shredder situation. I just thought that if you saw them again, you wouldn't feel bad anymore and you could say and do all you wanted and come back here and live your new life with a clear conscience."

"I get where you're coming from, Leo. I appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go back and see them. But yeah, you forgot that I'm trying to turn over a new leaf with no Shredder in my life. I've loved it here. I can't abandon all the work I've done for myself here like it was nothing. I worked too hard to abandon my new life."

"You wouldn't abandon anything at all, Harmony. It'd just be a visit."

"Maybe at first, but I'd want to stay longer, and then I'd never want to come back. The work I've done would have meant nothing. If I go back, I'll never leave. I can't do that to myself; to Shini. And I don't want to be seen by Shredder or his goons and spark up his stupid vendetta again. I just know he'd get more violent and would not leave a battle without me in his grasp. It's just too dangerous; too reckless. If I went back there, I'm not sure I could willpower myself to come back here. Please understand, Leo."

Leo nodded. "I do understand, Harmony. Maybe I could bring them here to visit?... no, Shredder and his goons would track us down for sure wondering what we're leaving New York for." Leo sighed. They were both quiet for a minute, and Leo suddenly punched the ground and growled. "Shit," he hissed under his breath.

Harmony widened her eyes in surprise. "Leo!" She whisper-yelled.

"Sorry, sorry," Leo replied quickly. "I just wish I could have you all see each other with no risk of danger."

Harmony gave him a sympathetic smile, patting his cheek. "You can't do the impossible, hero-boy. I appreciate your effort, though. Just enjoy being back home for the both of us, okay? Give them my best regards and hugs and stuff for me, and I'll be satisfied with that."

"Yeah, okay."

"Leo, don't get mopey on me. It'll be okay. We can always talk in the spiritual plane."

Leo sighed again, a little smile on his face. "You talk like I'm leaving right now."

"Nah. If you were leaving right now, this would be way harder." Leo nodded, agreeing. "Are you going to tell Splinter or Raph the news whenever you speak to them again?"

Leo laughed a bit. "Shell, I haven't even thought about that. I-I don't know. I want to tell them, but I want it to be a surprise too."

"Ah, as usual, you storm in and grab the spotlight. Classic leadernerdo."

"Ha ha, like you wouldn't grab at that kind of chance. Besides, it'd be a great surprise."

"Yeah yeah, dork. When do you think you'll leave, anyways? I want to prepare my proper goodbye and all."

"I won't leave right this minute. I want to go out with you and Shini one last time; maybe even have AO tag along. I want to have one last great time with all of you before I go."

Harmony smiled, wrapping an arm around Leo's shoulders and pulling him close. "That can definitely be arranged."


	39. Pre- THE Mission

"We're doing it? Like tonight?"

"We're doing it."

"It's finally happening? Like forreal?"

"It's finally happening."

"Am I dreaming? Like- -"

"Mikey, no, you're not dreaming, this is real life and real time! Stop asking questions, already!"

"Sorry, D, I just- - it's been so long. I can't believe the plan is finally green light! We're taking it in action tonight! After so long!" The others smiled and watched as Mikey bounced around in excitement. "We're gonna take down Shredder! We're gonna free the city of his evil! We're gonna do it!"

"It is pretty exciting; we've been waiting so long," April said.

"Finally! We've been benched on the sidelines for too long, dudes!" Casey chimed in.

"We literally fought the Purple Dragons a few minutes ago, Casey," Donnie added, earning a glare from the teen.

"I'm just as pumped as the rest of you, but we gotta take this seriously. Even if we don't take him down, we're really gonna set back all his work and weaken him. This plan has got to work in our favor, no matter what. We gotta go into this with level heads and nothing else." Raph scanned their faces. "Tonight, we're gonna make the Foot's mouths full of themselves."

"Yeah!" They shouted, fists in the air.

"When's Tiger Claw giving us the signal?" Casey asked.

"After dusk. Get your weapons, ready the buggy cars- - Donnie; it's time for your new innovations to shine."

Donnie's face lit up, a determined and excited look on his face. "Yes!" Donnie ran into his lab, coming back out with his arms full of gadgets. He set them down in the middle of the group, grabbing one invention at a time, passing them to the others, explaining what each did. "This first one: it's small, yeah, but this is our new way of blending in, literally! I got hold of some of the parts of the utrom's and kraang's that makes their cloaking technology possible! It's an armband and it only has one switch. Flip it up to turn it on, flip it down to turn it off. It will camouflage into anything. Mikey and I have tested it plenty of times. The downside is that it's useless against thermal technology.

"That's where this next gadget comes in! We know that Bebop and the Foot bots have thermal technology, so basically any of our other gadgets won't do much good against that ability of theirs. This device will read the temperature of your surroundings or whatever surface you're on and basically make an invisible blanket around you to hide your true body temperature. Kind of like a cloaking device, except for temperature! Same kind of deal with the first device, it only has one switch, on and off.

"Next item; not very new from previous inventions, nothing you're not familiar with. It can only be used once, and it has a certain range of about 2 meters (7 feet), so use it wisely. It's disrupts technology around it; the closer a device, the more damage it causes. Say you're surrounded by some Foot bots. If you activate it, the closer ones will most likely be permanently out of commission, and the ones farther away will be down for maybe a few minutes, but they will activate again. They'll be a bit slower and less likely to do as much damage as they usually do, so they should be easy to take down. One more thing, be really careful when you use it. Try to use it when you're away from the group, 'cause it will disrupt our technology, too.

"These last few ones are things we've used before, but they're never not handy. Shurikens, shurikens that detonate, detonators themselves, more explosive pucks for Casey, more egg bombs. I added egg bombs with knock out gas in them; those will be the brown eggs. The regular egg bombs will be white. More wrappings for extra limb protection, if anyone wants it. I managed to make two jet packs similar to Tiger Claw's, so whoever gets those, use them wisely, please. Sorry there's not any more useful things; I tried making something to wear that could protect crucial body parts before hard contact or extreme collision, but there wasn't enough time to finish even one."

"Donnie, are you kidding? All of this will help us a good deal. Don't focus on the things you couldn't complete, focus on the things you got done. You're helping us out a load, brother. Thanks for working your shell off." Donnie smiled at Raph, who smiled back as he clasped a hand on Donnie's shoulder and gave it a good grip. "Okay, everyone. It's still daylight. If you're tired, go take a nap. If you're hungry, go eat, but not to the point where you're too full to fight. Go hydrate; we're really gonna work up a sweat. If you feel like you need to prepare more, go test out these gadgets, go train, go spar with each other. Do everything you feel like you need to do before we head out tonight, 'cause you'll have no time to do it then. Got it?"

"Got it," they replied in unison. They collected each of their share of gadgets and separated. Raph waited for all of them to be out of the pit before he fell onto the sofa, taking in a long, deep breath. He was just as ready to take this plan into action as the others were, but he was anxious as all shell. This mission was really important; it was a very crucial one. It was very high risk, things could set it back, so many things could go wrong. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest with how fast it was beating and how heavy it felt. It had also been a while since he last spoke to Leo. He wondered if he napped, if he would contact Leo this time. He cleared his mind, knowing he can't focus on ifs; that he had to focus on the mission. He let one last thought stay in his mind before he shook it away: what would Leo say, if he could, before they went on their mission?

* * *

"I'm here! Yes! All that training Sensei gave us finally worked for me!"

"Hello?"

"Whoa, who's here?"

"..."

"Hey, dude, say something else! This is the spiritual plane, right? Please tell me it is; if this is a dream, this is just harsh."

"Yeah, this is the spiritual plane... I can't believe this..."

"...you sound... really familiar... come closer, dude! Why can't I see you?"

"I-it's you! It's really you!"

"...no way... it's you! You too!"

"Mikey, Mikey, it's me, it's me!"

Mikey sharply turned around, his eyes widening as he saw Leo. With tears in both of their eyes and big smiles on their faces, Mikey laughed really happily and genuinely. It had been a while since he had done that. He immediately ran to his brother, tears going down his cheeks as he and his brother wrapped their arms around each other. Mikey tried saying what he wanted, but he was so choked up. Leo tried to speak as well, but all he could manage to do as an expression of his feelings was laugh happily as he rubbed his little brother's head and held him tightly.

After a while, Mikey was finally able to speak. "I know this isn't physically real, but this still feels as great as it could be if it was," Mikey said softly. "I can't believe it's you, bro."

"I can't believe I finally get to talk to you," Leo replied, resting his forehead on the top of Mikey's. He smiled once again, and Mikey did too as he felt Leo's smile on his head. "I miss you so much, Mikey."

"I miss you too, Leo. I didn't think I'd get to talk to you until you came back whenever you did. I was so jealous when Raph would tell us he talked to you; I was happy to hear from you, but I wanted to hear from you myself. I can't believe I finally get to." Mikey paused a bit, looking up at Leo. "Speaking of, why haven't we heard from you as often as before?"

"I was training, Mikey."

"Raph said that too."

"Mikey, it's true. The Ancient One was putting us through really rigorous training. Some days, I was too tired to come here. Some days, I couldn't concentrate enough. Some days, I was too focused on training and preparing for the next session. Whenever I could make it in here, I was spiritually exhausted. The training took up a lot of my energy. My spiritual self wouldn't be able to talk as much as wanted. It really frustrated me, Mikey, to not be able to come here, and when I did, it frustrated me that it never lasted long enough and that I couldn't speak as much as I really wanted to. I'm sorry."

Mikey smiled, hugging Leo again. "Man, you talked really fast, so you must feel bad."

Leo chuckled, holding on to Mikey. "I do. I really do."

"It's okay, dude. I'm just glad you're okay. So, are you spiritually exhausted now?"

"No; The Ancient One gave us a break from training, so my energy is coming back. How is everything over there? How is everyone?"

Mikey erupted out of Leo's arms, and he was bouncing. "Oh yeah! We're about to do THE mission tonight! TC gave us the thumbs up finally, and we're gonna carry out the plan tonight!"

"Oh my gosh, really?"

"Yeah! Donnie gave us some new gear; we're all doing whatever before it's time for us to start out the mission, and- -"

"- -you were still a little tired, so you're napping," Leo finished, chuckling a bit. "I'm glad you did, lil bro. Remember to hydrate and eat before, okay?"

"I know, I know," Mikey replied, smiling. He started thinking, and sat down.

Leo sat beside him, looking at him worriedly. "You okay, Mikey?"

"I'm... kind of nervous, dude. This mission is really important, y'know? A lotta things can go wrong."

"Mikey, no matter how this plays out, you all are going to significantly set back Shredder and the Foot. I put my full faith in you. You know that, right?"

"I know, dude. It's just... really heavy. Got any advice?"

Leo sat in silence for a minute, wrapping his arm around Mikey and pulling him close. Mikey wrapped his arms around Leo's free arm. "Dude, did you get a bit darker?"

Leo looked down at him. "What?"

"Your skin looks a little darker than before."

"Really? I hadn't noticed, actually."

"You been out in the sun a lot? I didn't know a turtle could get tan, dude." Mikey squeezed Leo's arm, his eyes widening a bit. "Shell, dude, your intense training is paying off; you got more muscle!"

Leo smiled. "So, advice, right?" Mikey nodded. "Like you guys said to me: if there's another way to save everyone without sacrificing yourself, do it. Remember what you're doing this for. I really hate to say it, 'cause no turtle left behind, but in intense missions, sometimes, you can legit only look out for yourself and yourself only. It sucks, but it's true. So if that's the case, survive so that you can keep on carrying out the mission. But if you can save someone and not risk being wiped out, by all means, do it. You can never be too careful. Use your weapons wisely. Have faith in each other. Do not turn against each other, not even for a second. You don't have time to argue about what could have been done; go from what happens as best as you can. Okay?"

Mikey breathed in deeply, nodding and breathing out. "Okay."

"Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe in you, I love you. Remember that, okay? I mean it."

Mikey smiled, tearing up a bit. "I love you too, bro." Leo smiled, turning his body and embracing Mikey in a hug once again. Mikey hugged him back, feeling some wet spots fall on his shoulder as he shut his eyes. "Awh, you're crying, bro? Don't worry, I am too." Mikey felt like something was pulling him back, and he felt less and less of Leo's touch. Confused, Mikey opened his eyes, seeing Leo looking over him and smiling gently at him. Mikey looked to where his arms should have been, starting to panic a bit. "L-Leo? What's happening? Where's my arms?" Mikey looked at the rest of where his body should be, his heart racing. "What's going on?" He looked back up at his brother. "Leo?"

"You're leaving the spiritual plane," Leo replied, his voice strained. He breathed in a shaky breath. "You're waking up, Mikey."

"I don't wanna go yet, Leo," Mikey whined.

"Shh," Leo replied, still embracing Mikey as much as he could at that point. "Close your eyes. Take deep breaths. Don't move too quickly when you wake up. I believe in you; you and the others are going to do amazing. Do your best to get out of there alive. Fight with all you got. Shh, it's okay. It's okay, Mikey, it's okay.. it's okay... it's... okay... s'okay..."

* * *

"...wake up. Mikey, wake up."

Mikey's eyes shot open. He was expecting to see Leo when he did, but his eyes landed on Raph. Mikey felt himself tearing up before he knew it, and Raph immediately grew concerned. "Mikey, what's wrong? Hey, hey, talk to me, little brother," Raph said, slowly sitting Mikey up to support him as he cried. "Did something happen in your sleep?" Mikey nodded in Raph's arms. "What happened?"

"I-I saw L-Leo in th-the s-spiritual pl-plane," Mikey replied.

"How was that? Were you really happy?" Mikey nodded. "Did you cry?" Nod. "Did he cry?" Nod. "Did it last long?" Nod. "You tell him what we're doing tonight?" Nod. "He say anything about it?" Nod. "Talk whenever you're ready."

"I-I wanna say it to everyone. H-he wants everyone to hear it."

Raph nodded. "Okay, buddy. Let's get you some water, first. Then you can tell us. Okay?" He helped Mikey out his bed, taking him to the kitchen. After they got Mikey some water, they gathered everyone together, even Sensei. Mikey took a minute before he repeated the advice Leo gave to him. After Mikey spoke, everyone was silent for a moment.

"Leonardo's advice is something you all should keep in mind during your mission. He and I believe you all will do as much as you are able to tonight. We're both proud of you." Sensei fell back silent.

Everyone was emotional about it. Some tried not to show it, some let it out.

"Leo has faith in us. He believes in us." Raph looked to all of them. "Remember what we're doing this for. Do what it takes to get out of there alive." He took in a deep breath. "We're gonna give it our all. We're in this together, no matter what. If you had any worries- - I know this is cliche- - know that we believe in each other. Sensei believes in us. Leo believes in us. We can do this!"

"Yeah!" They shouted in unison.

"Tonight, we're gonna take back New York; we are gonna take back our home."


	40. The Final Four

Leo had decided to stay in Japan for a few more days- - less days than a full week- - before heading back to New York. A total of 4 days before he decided to head off. The first day, he took to properly process the news. He kept asking AO "I can go home?" thinking the night before was just a dream. AO and Harmony had to reassure him many times before he finally shut up with the question. He spent most of the first day in his assigned room, looking around it. He was making mental images of what he would miss about Japan. He spent the day inside AO's house, focusing on the little things that caught his attention. He was asking AO some questions about why he had certain possessions, not minding how long AO went on about them.

The second day, he asked AO if it was okay if he went around and look at the nature, and if he could revisit the path he and AO took when Leo first arrived. AO approved, but he asked Harmony if she could tag along. Harmony agreed, but only if Shinigami went, too, so all three teens went on a long nature walk. Leo would sometimes wander off by himself, but he never strayed too far. He also sat in one place for a good hour or two whenever it reminded him of something before they continued the walk. It was pretty late by the time they got back into town, and Shini was stating it for a good while, too.

"I like taking in scenery as much as the next person, but Leonardo, you take it to a whole new level," Shini said as they saw the lights of the town from afar. "My feet feel like they're about to stop working; my heels are doing that numb tingling thing- -" Leo stopped in his tracks, bending down a bit and holding his arms a bit, distracting Shini from finishing her sentence. "...what are you doing?"

Leo turned his head a bit so that he could look Shini in the eye. "Hop on. I'll carry you the rest of the way."

Shini and Harmony exchanged a look before Shini smiled, walking to Leo's backside. "If you insist." They did a countdown, and when they both got settled, Harmony rolled her eyes and laughed. "You can learn a thing or two from me, MiMi. Eventually, if you whine enough about your pain, you'll get something out of it."

"More like Leo found a creative solution to get you to shut up," Harmony replied. Leo broke out into laughter at her comeback, and she joined along as Shini narrowed her eyes at her. They took Shini home, thanking her for joining them, then turned to return to AO's house. When they were almost there, Harmony asked "so, what was with the all-day nature walk?"

Leo was quiet for a bit before he replied. "Master Splinter had always wanted for us to come see Japan one day, with or without him. He listed off some certain spots that he said he was fond of, and some that..." Leo stopped himself, not sure whether to continue.

"...what, Leo?" Harmony asked.

"...some that really took a toll on him; some that he said shaped his life how it is now. There was one place he said really changed his life, but I wasn't sure... I wasn't sure if I should visit it, 'cause... honestly, I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing it." He mumbled something under his breath that Harmony couldn't make out.

"Well, I'm here; maybe it'd be better to go see while we're still out."

"...I don't know."

"Why not? What is it?" Leo seemed to have locked his jaw and looked away, not wanting to answer. He looked really hesitant. "...it has something to do with his fight between him and Saki, doesn't it?" Leo froze, holding his breath. "The one that took my mom's life?"

"...I wasn't sure if you wanted to see it; to see where it happened." Leo wasn't sure if he was able to see it, either. Not again. He avoided it in Harmony's sake, but he also couldn't stop reliving when he and his brothers went back in time and had to witness the entire situation unfold itself. Knowing that every multiverse or so, he and his brothers had to save their father from the fire, as fate had laid it out.

"You're kind of not wanting to go yourself, either, aren't you?" Leo nodded once, letting out a long sigh. Harmony thought about it for a minute. She was kind of unsure of how she would react to seeing it; she'd been told about it all her life, but the version she heard was a lie. Although she wasn't sure how she'd react, she wasn't not wanting to see it. She walked to Leo's side and gripped one of his clenched, shaking fists. Leo breathed in sharply, looking at Harmony, then down at her hand over his fist, then back up at her. "If you're okay to go, let's go, Leo. We'll have each other, so it won't be so... however we feel about it. What do you say?"

Leo had to think about it. He couldn't stop seeing the whole thing in slow motion. He knew that he wasn't going to be reliving it again, but it was still boggling in his mind. He gulped dryly, finally unclenching his fists. "...okay. Let's go."

* * *

Leo stayed in the bushes for a minute, holding his arm out so Harmony couldn't walk ahead of him. He took in a deep breath, lowering his arm and stepping forward, with Harmony at his side. When they got close enough, they both halted. There was dead grass where the dojo used to be. There was black and gray spots on the grass as well, and there was pieces of wood that were rotting out. Leo looked where they were standing, and he remembered that it was right about next to where Saki had picked up baby Miwa and ran away with her, leaving Tang Shen and supposedly Splinter to die in the flames.

"...shell, I didn't realize we were both shaking," Leo said quietly. "How... are you taking it?"

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me what really happened. All I ever got was a basic story, and that was a lie. Tell me what really happened."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Leo took a deep breath, nodding his head. "Do you.. want to walk it through, too?" Harmony raised a brow at him, confused. "Ah, well, uh, Master Splinter wasn't one to skip details. I can pretty much... envision it in my head."

"Sure, I guess we can do that, then." They stepped towards where the majority of the burnt and dead grass was, and Leo began explaining.

"Both Saki and Splinter were in love with Tang Shen- - your mom. Should I say your mom or Shen? I'll just say your mom. Anyways, Splinter and Saki did grow up and train together, that much was true. Their master was pretty old, and he was getting sick. Splinter was the next one in the line to inherit the clan and the dojo, and to train the next generation. Saki felt like Splinter was getting everything, and that he was getting nothing. He knew he was adopted into the family, and he wanted to finally go find where he really came from, which led him to finding the Foot clan.

"Master Splinter was really occupied with the future of his clan, and your mom was feeling like he wasn't taking her and you into his consideration. He insisted otherwise, though. He loved you both. Your mom was the one who wanted to go start a new life in New York, a new life as a proper family. While Master Splinter was thinking about it, Saki tried persuading your mom to go back with him- - they had a thing, I guess- - saying that he would give his full attention and dedicate his life to her and to you, and that he had no problem with going to New York. Your mom loved Splinter, though, and she told Saki. Saki got mad, so he decided to retaliate against Splinter and officially joined the Foot clan.

"Saki then decided it was time to settle the score between himself and Splinter, and challenged Splinter to a battle to the death, basically, saying whoever won was superior. Splinter tried to talk Saki out of it- - they grew up together, after all, and Splinter wanted them to try to have a good relationship- - but Saki wasn't having any of it. During the fight, something that was lit had fell on the ground, and the place started to grow in flames. Saki had Splinter cornered, and he was delivering his fatal blow." Leo stopped for a minute, halting both of them. "Your mom... she stepped in between them, hoping to stop their fighting. Instead of Saki killing Splinter, he... it was your mom who perished.

"By that time, the side of the building they were in had caught on fire, and pillars were falling. Saki's face caught on fire, and he fled to escape the fire. Splinter... he stayed with your mom. He couldn't believe she had passed, and he got caught under a pillar. By... some miracle... he managed to escape, but his life was burning away in front of him. Saki found you, renamed you Karai, and ran away with you. He claimed you as his daughter, and as an act of revenge against Splinter. And... that's... that's what happened."

They were both silent, not knowing what else to say. They were both processing it as best as they could. Harmony broke the silence with a bitter and dry laugh, her eyes looking as if they could shoot daggers. Leo was about to ask what she was feeling, but she spoke before he could even say one syllable.

"Saki... really had the audacity to say that his entire livelihood was ruined... to say that everyone in the Hamato clan, that Splinter was the one who killed my mother. Whatever he says is just... **bullshit!** " She was yelling now. "'Karai, you're the only thing that matters to me;' 'Karai, I'd never hurt you;' 'Karai, I did everything to protect your mother, to protect you!' He might as well have threw me out on the street and left me for dead, that's what he basically did, anyways! He mutated me just to get a stab at Splinter without even taking my feelings or well being into consideration! Everything was just a new way to get under Splinter's skin, **_including me!"_**

Before Harmony could spew negative things about herself, which they both knew was the road she was about to go down, Leo engulfed his hand around her shaking, clenched one. She bit her lip and locked her eyes directly in front of her. "What happened was tragic. Believe me, I know. But to every ending, there's a new beginning. I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to preach a cliche, but it's true. You coming to Japan was the beginning of your new journey. This place... what happened here, now that you know the truth, you can take it as something to learn by and use it as a stepping stone to your new beginning, Harmony. The rough patches in our lives gives us a new perspective and push that we need in order to move through life, and to live life in general. This is one of those times. I'm not saying that you aren't allowed to grieve and see this as a negative thing, 'cause it is. Your feelings about this entire thing are valid. But don't let it control your entire life, 'cause then you won't be able to turn over the new leaf you want to live."

"...so it's fine if I get down about this place, then?"

"We all need to mourn before we pick up where we left off. Just make sure you look after yourself the best you can if you end up in a big rut over this. Okay? And Harmony. You're not worthless. You're not someone with no meaning to life. You're not misguided anymore. No one is in control of yourself besides yourself. Master Splinter told us once, 'we choose what holds us back, and what moves us forward,' so remember that. You're not stupid for believing Saki. None of this is your fault. It may feel otherwise, but it's not."

Harmony breathed out a long sigh, relaxing the hand in Leo's hand. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him so that she wouldn't feel alone. He also figured that her legs were about to give out, 'cause his felt like that, too.

"So, is what Shini true?"

"What?"

"If I complain about something, I'll get something out of it?"

Leo closed his eyes, smiling a bit. "No need to complain." He bent down, ready for her to hop on. "Your chariot awaits." Harmony smiled a bit, hopping on. When they both settled as comfortably as they could, Harmony threw her arms over Leo's shoulders and laid her head down as best as she could, closing her eyes. Leo felt her slipping a bit, having to hoist her up every now and then. "Hey, are you asleep?" Harmony didn't reply. Leo stopped and looked for somewhere to set her down, walking to a bench when he spotted it. He didn't want to disturb her sleep, but he knew bending down like a table and walking the rest of the way home wasn't going to be comfortable for either of them. He carefully scooped Harmony into his arms, making sure he was holding her as best as he could with full support before he started heading back again. Once they got home, Leo slipped in as quietly as he could, trying to keep AO from waking up. His arms were starting to shake from not having a break, so he quickly walked to Harmony's assigned room and set her down quickly but gently. He moved his arms in circles for a minute, getting the feeling back in them, then draped a blanket over her before heading to his room. He stayed awake until the memories of having to witness the entire thing happen started to occur less, and that took a good while.

* * *

Even though Leo hadn't gotten a full night's rest, he was still awake before Harmony was the third day. He had told AO that the next day, he was planning on going back to New York; that he felt that something was telling him the next day was the essential time to go back. AO understood, and they exchanged praises to each other. AO also spoiled something, which kind of upset Harmony, but what was done was done.

"You're really throwing me a going away party?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Harmony replied, shooting a playful glare at AO. "But, at least you can prepare for it, I guess. It's going to be you, me, Shini and AO. A night out in the town."

Leo raised a brow, smiling a bit unsurely. "Is that a good idea? I mean," Leo waved over himself. "Just look at me."

"There's no need to oggle over yourself; you've got disguises."

"They're not the best, though."

"At least they work- - stop trying to find ways out of this, dork," Harmony replied, elbowing him roughly. "You're the one who wanted to have one last good hangout before you go. When is that, anyways? Did you de- -"

"Tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. This makes this hangout all the more essential, then. We're heading out in an hour, so go find your most casual but nice looking outfit you have. We're going to look at some popular tourist sites first, since you surprisingly haven't done that, not even yesterday."

"And then what?"

"AO wants to go shopping- - let you get something to remember Japan by, like a shirt or pin or something, I don't know. Something that you'll really like. Shini suggested going to some stream that not a lot of people are around, so we can swim in it or have some sort of water balloon fight. We'll see what she brings to the table by that time. Then, we get you one last big going away meal- - there's some place that makes whatever meal you want, so think of what you want before then, okay? I told AO that you loooove space, so he suggested that we take the meals to go and sit on his roof and stargaze for a bit. We can even sleep out here, if you want, but I doubt AO would. So yeah, that's the jist of it. Now go get ready!"

And they did just that- - the sights they saw, Leo understood why they were popular places to go. AO had brought a camera that printed out the shots it captured and took pictures of the three teens, and in some pictures, Shini had them all take a selfie so that AO was in some pictures. Each picture was taken three times so that each teen could have a copy. When they went to the stream, Shini had already started spraying everyone with water guns and water balloons, starting a full out water fight. Some of them would push each other in the stream to gain the upper hand. They stuck around the stream until dusk started setting in, and when they dried off, they went to the restaurant AO suggested. Leo, being obsessed with pizza, ordered pizza gyoza. He had to kind of explain the concept to the cook, and the result was satisfying. By the time it was night time and they had settled on the roof, Leo's thoughts wandered to his time in space, and the entire... ordeal that had him end up there in the first place. He shook that part away and focused on the adventures he had in space, and he thought of the Fugitoid.

"Spacing out about space?" Leo snapped out of his thoughts, putting on a smile at Shini's question. "What do you think it's like up there?"

"Really vast. Big. Sure, maybe black, but when you get nearby planets, lots of different colors."

Harmony and Shini smiled. "You talk like you've been up there before," Harmony replied. "You think there's other life?"

"Most definitely. We can't be the only intellectual living beings in this entire universe. They probably- -"

"Let's stop you there, before you get barely any sleep again," Harmony interrupted. "But, yeah, that's probably true. It is a pretty big world out there."

The night was pretty cool, and the wind kind of made it chilly. Shini finally sat up, rubbing her arms. "Alright, I'm going inside. It's really nice out, but I'm getting cold, and this humidity I feel might mess up my hair and makeup. See you in there, you two."

"Bye, Shini," Leo and Harmony replied in unison. Leo was pretty warm with all the clothes he had on. He would have offered something to Shini if she had said something, but she hadn't, for some reason. Leo turned to Harmony. "Are you cold?"

"Not really- -"

"Here," Leo interrupted, pulling off the coat he had. "Even though I'm really warm, the breeze is kind of chilly." Harmony pulled it over herself, then they sat in a comfortable quiet. "Are you gonna- -"

"Tomorrow."

"What?"

"Ask me tomorrow, when you're actually going to leave."

Leo smiled, looking back up at the stars. "Sure."

* * *

Fourth day; the day Leo was going to leave to go back home.

"Are you leaving now?"

"I haven't even finished packing yet."

"Do not leave without telling us."

"I'm eating!"

"Don't pull a me."

"I'm just stretching, Harmony."

"Make sure you've got everything."

"Do you want me to leave now?"

"Don't forget your pictures."

"I might as well be leaving with the way you're talking."

"I can't believe you're about to leave," Shini sighed. "Whose cheeks will I have to pat when I'm smug? Who will I call my honorary dork friend?"

Leo smiled, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "I'm still your honorary dork friend. If I find out you call someone else that, I'll be pretty offended."

Shini smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "Don't worry, no one can out-dork you, Hamato Leonardo." She held her arms out, and they gave each other a tight hug. "Say hi to your family for me. I bet they'll be excited to know you have made a new friend."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Are you implying I have no friends, Shini?"

"I'm implying that I'm a great person to be friends with." Shini pulled away, smiling at Leo. "I will miss you, Leo. Don't be afraid to come back, okay?" Shini patted his cheeks one last time, earning a little chuckle from the turtle. "Ah, I'll miss that dorky laugh, too. Ugh, I gotta get away from you before I get too emotional."

"You're not emotional already?" Leo laughed as Shini shoved him playfully, walking back to where AO was. They were all behind some crates near the dock where the next ship to New York was heading, waiting for it to start to sail in a few minutes. Leo looked at AO and bowed, mouthing a thank you to him. AO smiled, waving him off as he and Shini turned to leave him and Harmony to say their goodbyes. They faced each other, and they both smiled warmly, then sadly. "Now, then?"

"Yeah. Now."

"Are you gonna miss me?"

Harmony smiled. "Of course."

"What'll you miss most about me- - ouch!" Leo laughed a bit as Harmony punched his arm. "Just kidding."

There was a silence. They didn't know what to say now that he was going to be leaving in a matter of minutes. Harmony sighed, grabbing his arms and looking him straight in the eye. "I don't know when we'll see each other- - if we'll see each other- - in person again. Just... thank you for all you've done for me. And before you say that it was all me, yeah, I know, but you helped me get to where I am now. Tell everyone I miss them, I'm sorry, I love them, all that jazz. I mean it. I'll miss you, Leo. Take down Shredder for both of us, okay?"

Leo's smile faltered a bit. He knew his question was risky, but he just had to ask "are you sure you don't want to come back for just one last time? You could say how you feel to everyone yourself. You could help us take down Shredder, end his stupid reign of terror over a petty vendetta. It wouldn't backtrack your new life at all. It'd be like a stepping stone to go up the stairs of your new life. It'd give you some closure." Leo stopped himself, already feeling bad. "Sorry. I don't mean to pressure you. But a guest to come along will always be a welcome option. I know Shini would love to go, too, and she's always welcome. I asked her about it, and she said she'd be up for it. But again, I'm not trying to pressure you."

Harmony smiled at him. "I know you mean well. Listen, Leo, just please be careful. Take care of each other. Be the hero boy you've always wanted to be. And you know the drill; if you tell anyone, I'll kill you." Harmony initiated the hug, holding Leo as tightly and as long as she could before they both heard the final ship horns for departure sound off.

"I almost don't want to go," Leo said softly. "I'm gonna miss you all a lot. I'll miss you. You take care of each other too, okay? They're your new family, so protect each other no matter what."

" _Baka_ ," Harmony replied, smiling a bit as she heard Leo gasp a bit. "You're my family, too. That's what makes this goodbye all the more harder."

"I have to go now," Leo said, his voice strained as he pulled away from the hug. "Uh, to keep my dorky reputation up, I'ma say some word that's popular on the internet right now after the next three words: Bye, love ya, fam."

They both cracked up, more than they should have. "Yeah, you're keeping up that reputation, alright."

Leo sighed, rushing to her side and giving her a brief but tight side hug before running towards the ship. "Bye, fellow reptile."

Harmony smiled, waving a bit. "See ya, mutant."

AO and Shini stepped by Harmony's sides as they watched Leo leap onto the ship, waving them off one last time before disappearing. They watched the boat start to leave the boarding dock, and Harmony let out a shaky breath. Shini wrapped her arm around Harmony, squeezing her upper arm.

"You two could have taken up his offer, you know."

Harmony and Shini looked at AO. "What?"

"I know he asked if you two wanted to go back to New York with him. You're both thinking about it, but it's kind of getting late to act on a decision to go if that's what you want to do. Tsk tsk, teenagers. So indecisive."

Shini looked at Harmony, smiling at her a bit. "I know you're worried, MiMi, but one last visit wouldn't hurt. I'd be with you, too. And I promise, we'd come right back here to live your new life."

Harmony smiled a bit, but it was a sad smile. Harmony sighed, running a hand through her hair and leaning on Shini. She looked at the boat that was starting to depart and sail off. And they did that, until they couldn't see the boat anymore.


	41. THE Mission, pt. 1

"Diversion team, ready?"

"Ready!" Casey, Mikey and April yelled.

"All right, you three, please be careful," Donnie warned. "Remember how each of the equipment works?"

"Armbands make us visually and thermally invisible, clip on disrupts technology, and a surplus of common weaponry," April replied, not skipping a beat. "We've got it, Donnie, don't worry."

"Casey Jones'll take care of the explosions, bro, don't sweat it!" Casey said, showing a toothy grin.

Donnie sighed. "That... sounds like what always happens, so fine. Oh, and Raph and I are going to take the shell bugs, okay?" Casey and the others nodded.

"Remember, Mikey, you guys have to make it look like you're going to a hidden location. If Shredder's goons spot us and tell Shredder that you look sketchy and might have Harmony after all, Shredder's for sure going to send them after you." Raph looked at his little brother intently, then a smile appeared. "I'm counting on you." Mikey felt both honored and a bit nervous at those words. Raph must have noticed that, since he let out a laugh and rubbed the top of Mikey's head reassuringly. "I know you'll do great, Mikey. So will Casey and April. They go on your commands, okay? Make sure you take this as seriously as you should, 'cause you're basically the leader."

Mikey looked a bit confused. "Are you sure that's the best idea, Raph? Me, as a leader?"

"Lead in your own way. If you don't have faith in yourself, know that we all do." Raph patted Mikey on the shoulder, then backed up. "We'll hang back for a couple of minutes, just in case you want us to jump in. If you don't send us a signal, Donnie and I'll go ahead and go for Shredder's secret base. We'll send a signal whenever we do, so make sure your T-Phones are on vibrate only so that Shredder's goons don't pick up on our plan. Whenever you're heading our way, shoot us a signal. Got it?"

The three nodded, and with that settled, they left the lair. Donnie and Raph made sure that they had the buggy's ready and their equipment ready. They checked multiple times- - it was kind of the only thing they could do to settle their nerves. Of course they were nervous, they had so many reasons to be. They knew when they were on the surface, though, they couldn't let their nerves affect them as much as it was right then. Splinter, hearing a lot of pacing back and forth, came out from the dojo and caught their eye.

"Raphael, Donatello... care to explain your pacing?"

The two turned sharply, only saying "nervous" as an explanation.

"I understand. This is an important mission. But, you two need to go."

"What?"

"You've been waiting for about 10 minutes- - there's no time to waste. No matter what results, know that you did your absolute best. Now go. I have faith in you."

Raph and Donnie nodded, giving Splinter hugs before climbing into their own buggy. They rode off, with Donnie giving directions when to turn. They made sure to steer clear of the area that they had decided would be the 'secret' location, both of them hoping that things were going okay for the other three teens.

* * *

"Yo, Shredder, these guys are being extra careful wherever they're steppin'," Bebop whispered into his headset. "What do you want us to do?"

"Go after those fools. If they're acting cautious more than usual, they are hiding something- - or someone- - from us. Follow them, take them down, bring back whatever they're hiding. Do not come back empty handed."

"Loud and clear," Bebop replied. "You heard the man, you big rhino. Let's go after 'em."

"I have ears," Rocksteady grunted. "You think Boney Dog and Big Fish come along?"

"No doubt, Shredder ain't gonna take any chances of her slippin' away. Ay, there they come." Bebop waved them over. "They went that way- -"

"Less chit chat, more fetch," Rahzar replied. Hearing stifled chortles from the other three goons, he growled. "You know what I mean. Just lead the way."

Bebop let out one last laugh, then he and Rocksteady led the way to where they saw the three teens bolt. After catching up to them and tailing them without revealing so, they stopped when the three teens did. Mikey looked around, making sure that "no one" was following them, then signaled Casey and April to enter the abandoned building. Bebop did one last scan, looking up at the rooftops. Even though the goons were hidden, Mikey caught a glimpse of one of Fishface's robotic legs. Mikey acted as if he saw nothing, scanning one last time before heading inside the building.

"Y'all ready to beat these sucka's to the ground?" Bebop whispered.

"Let's go now, while their guard is down," Fishface replied. "Element of surprise." The others nodded, and they leaped down from the rooftops onto the ground, waiting outside for a minute. Rahzar peeked inside, seeing if Harmony was in there or not. The three teens had created a fake Snakarai and propped it up, and the outline of the fake silhouette of Snakarai had caught Rahzar's attention.

"She's in there!" Rahzar whispered. "We gotta go in there now."

"Rush in or sneak in?" Rocksteady asked.

"Rush- - might as well make a big entrance."

"Das what I like!" Rocksteady replied with a big grin. He backed away from the building, then rushed for the door, breaking it open. Bebop, Fishface and Rahzar filed in behind him, all very smug.

Casey, April and Mikey turned sharply, actually a bit surprised. They weren't expecting them to rush in so soon. Mikey, a master actor, bolted for the fake Snakarai. "Hide, sis!" Mikey yelled, pushing the silhouette away. "Hurry, go!"

"Knock knock," Bebop said, laughing loudly. "Y'all thought we wouldn't find out?"

"After the girl!" Rahzar growled, about to sprint in the direction Mikey pushed the fake Snakarai into.

"You'll have to go through us, first," April replied, blocking the same direction.

"Game on, freaks!" Casey yelled, ready to fight. With that said, the three teens turned on their camouflage and thermal blocking devices, startling the henchmen.

"Where'd they go?!" Fishface yelled. "You, pig! Use your thermal reading!"

"No duh," Bebop snorted back, scanning the room. He was baffled... he couldn't pick up any heat signatures! "Wha- - this doesn't make sense!"

"Knock- -" Bebop breathed in sharply at the sudden voice by him. When he looked around him, he didn't see anything- - "KNOCK!" Bebop squealed loudly as he felt sudden crushing pain at the sides of his head, his vision giving out on him. He grew furious when he heard the familiar giggle of the orange-clad turtle, still unable to find his or the other two's thermal readings.

April smiled at Mikey's sneak attack and decided to follow up. Concentrating, she lifted many heavy objects off the ground. Rocksteady, Fishface and Rahzar were flustered, not knowing where to take down April. The objects pointed in the goons' direction, and they were flying towards them. The goons managed to dodge some, but they took some hits.

Casey decided to add with a bang- - literally. He slid out his explosive pucks from behind him, hitting multiple pucks at Rocksteady. He decided that the bigger enemies should go down first, or at least take the most damage, should something go wrong. Rocksteady grunted, trying to pinpoint the direction where the pucks were coming from. When he finally did, it was too late- - the pucks around him were exploding, throwing the giant rhino off. He tried running away from the exploding pucks, but Casey made sure to flank them on all sides of the rhino. While Rocksteady was distracting trying to find an escape route, April lifted another heavy object off the ground, hovered it over Rocksteady, and dropped it on him. Rocksteady fell, trying to get back up, but he couldn't.

"Rhino down!" Casey hollered, laughing. "Now it's fair game; three-on-three."

"You three are cowards!" Rahzar growled. "You're only winning because you're hiding. This isn't fair at all; if you're so confident you'll take us down, show yourselves!"

The three teens pondered on that, smiling among themselves. They devised another plan. Casey obliged, turning off his camouflage and thermal blocking devices. While he did that, Mikey and April sneaked behind Fishface. Fishface was a good distance away from Rahzar and Bebop, who would definitely pick up on their scents if they were closer.

"You're right; but you guys are forgetting something," Casey replied, lowering his mask down on his face as Rahzar and Bebop were ready to charge at him.

"What's that?" Bebop and Rahzar turned sharply when they suddenly heard Fishface gasping loudly and falling to the ground. April and Mikey had pulled off one of the water/mutagen supply on his sides, immediately weakening the over-sized fish. April and Mikey turned their devices off now, smiling as Rahzar and Bebop were still thrown off.

"All's fair in love and war, bros," Mikey replied, now pulling out his nunchakus and April her tessen.

"We can definitely factor out love, though," April added. "And before you make any stabs at the fact that I'm a girl- - drop it. I can easily take you two down."

They all charged towards each other. Bebop, Casey and April battled while Rahzar took on Mikey. Rahzar was fighting angrily, his movements sporadic and swift. He grew angrier as Mikey dodged his attacks and landed his own onto the bony dog. Rahzar managed to grab a hold of Mikey, about to claw the turtle when Mikey lifted himself up in the air, his legs landing on Rahzar's arm. Mikey jumped up and landed on Rahzar's back, pulling Rahzar's bony ears back, steering the now yelling dog mutant. Mikey jumped off of Rahzar's back, still hanging onto Rahzar's ears. Rahzar bent down uncomfortably, as he had no choice. Rahzar was about to spin around to grab Mikey when Mikey threw the dog over his shoulder, slamming him down onto the ground with all his might.

Mikey lowered his face down a bit, on eye level with Rahzar. Rahzar glared at him, seeming to be getting up. Mikey clicked his tongue three times and waved his finger at Rahzar, puzzling him. Mikey pulled out a brown egg from behind him, cracking it open and pushing the remnants of the egg onto Rahzar's face and distancing himself as the knock out gas surrounded Rahzar. Rahzar coughed loudly, trying to get up to continue fighting, but he quickly slipped back onto the ground and into unconsciousness.

"Nighty night," Mikey said, smiling as he ran towards Casey, April and Bebop. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Bebop's fist around Casey's neck and April under his foot. Mikey's smile immediately left his face. "Let them go," Mikey growled, his eyes shooting daggers.

"How 'bout we make a deal?" Bebop cackled, his fingers enclosing a bit more around Casey's neck. Casey tried to pry the giant hands off, he tried hitting them, he even tried biting- - nothing was working. April tried to pull Bebop's foot off of her back, she tried squirming her way out, she tried to crawl away, but she got the same results as Casey.

"I said let them go!" Mikey yelled, stepping towards the giant warthog.

"Not so fast; come any closer, and I'll end these fools. You don't think that giant fly face gives us upgrades on our gear?" Though Bebop's threat is vague, Mikey isn't about to risk losing two of his friends.

Mikey obeyed Bebop, not moving any closer. "What do you want."

"Hand over Shredder's daughter," Bebop replied. "And I'll let these two go."

"I can't do that." Bebop's fingers closed more around Casey's neck, and he put more pressure on April's back. Both the teens struggled for breath, their eyes pleading at Mikey. They knew he had to seem like Snakarai was at risk, but they were wishing that things could go more quickly. "Stop!" Mikey yelled, his jaw tightening.

"Just tell me where you sent her running- - we'll take real good care of her. Or is she still in here- - if that's the case, I'm a little impressed you three could protect her for this long. This can all end right here, right now- - the chases, the late night fights- - all you gotta do is hand over what's ours."

"She's not a possession," Mikey growled. He was pained as he met eyes with April and Casey. He flickered his eyes back to Bebop. "You'll really let them go?"

"A deal's a deal," Bebop replied. "All ya gotta do is meet me halfway." Mikey sighed, pointing in the direction where the fake Snakarai would be. Bebop laughed, putting a bit more pressure on April before taking his foot off of her back. Mikey immediately ran to her, helping her up. Mikey saw that Bebop now had Casey in a choke hold and was taking Casey with him.

"Hey- - you said you'd let them both go!" Mikey yelled. "A deal's a deal!"

"I gotta see if she's really there; don't know if you're lying or not." Casey tried to slow their tracks, but it wasn't working so much. Bebop, getting closer to where the fake Snakarai was, started to laugh. "Man, Shredder's gonna be so stoked when I hand over this little brat!" Casey decided to use one of his last resort equipment, stomping his heel on the ground. A spike appeared on the front of his shoe, and with a swift motion, Casey cut Bebop's ankle. Bebop squealed loudly, immediately releasing Casey and reaching down to cover his injury. Casey stumbled away, catching his breath. Bebop got back up, pulling something out of his belt. Casey immediately put his hands in the air when Bebop pointed a stun gun at him, backing towards where the fake Snakarai should be. "If you really wanna live, you won't attack me."

Nodding, Casey said "I won't attack you, you got my word."

Bebop got closer to where the fake Snakarai should be. He sniffed the air, trying to pick up on a scent. When he didn't get her scent, he stormed in the direction. When he realized that he and Shredder's other henchmen had been baited, he grunted, storming towards Casey. "Y'all think you're real smart! Well, it may just be me left standing, but I ain't lettin' y'all get away!" He lifted his stun gun, ready to fire it at Casey. "And you're fi- -" Bebop started coughing violently and dropped his stun gun as he tried to waft away the sudden knock out gas around him. He looked up, seeing a smug-grinning Casey in front of him. "You said you wouldn't attack!"

"Please, I'm just doing the same thing you did. Besides, I didn't attack you- - I just put you to sleep."

Bebop managed to sputter a few words before he slipped into unconsciousness. "This ain't over."

Mikey and April joined Casey's side, the three the last thing Bebop saw before his eyes fluttered shut. Casey laughed softly, rubbing his neck. "Sweet dreams, _pig_."


	42. THE Mission, pt. 2

Donnie and Raph had just parked their buggy's a good distance away from Shredder's secret base when they felt their T-Phones vibrate. They immediately pulled them out, breathing sighs of relief when the message from Mikey read _'on our way!'_ The two turtles decided to wait for the others to meet up with them. They also wanted to make sure they were okay. When Mikey, Casey and April finally reached them, they looked a little beat up, but they were mostly okay. Raph immediately noticed some marks around Casey's neck, concerned.

"Who did that to you?" Raph asked in a harsh whisper.

"Don't worry, bro, I took down that annoying pig," Casey replied. "He got what was comin' to him."

Raph smiled a bit, but he was still worried. "How much does it hurt?"

Casey rubbed at his neck. "Sides are a lil tender, but I'm mostly fine. It'll leave marks, though. Nothin' I can't handle."

Raph nodded, gripping Casey's shoulder as a supporting gesture. "All right, me and Donnie are gonna go in first. You three hang back for a couple of minutes- - catch a breather, get ready- - then go in after us, alright?" The three nodded, and with that said, Raph and Donnie sneaked inside. They tried their best to avoid the cameras around the building and in the rooms. They knew they were going to have to take down Stockman first so that he wouldn't be able to send any distress signals or warnings to Shredder. Donnie and Raph threw explosive shurikens at Stockman's command central station, watching the over-sized bug buzz in confusion. They emerged from the shadows, their weapons at the ready.

"Turtles! How did you evade my cameras?"

"You should be asking yourself something more important than that," Donnie replied. "Instead, you should ask yourself how much pain you can endure before you pass out?"

Raph raised a brow at Donnie, smiling at him. "Nice, D."

Donnie smiled back at his brother. "I've been practicing." Their little fun moment was spoiled when Stockman suddenly rose from his advanced wheelchair. He had made himself robotic leg supports so that he could walk. He didn't walk very well, but he was walking. Stockman raised his robotic arm and fired at the turtles. They immediately jumped out of the way, looking at where Stockman's shot landed. They were surprised at how large the indention in the wall was. They really had to make sure they weren't near where ever Stockman fired, or else they'd be in trouble.

"Y'know Stockman, you impressed me," Raph breathed as Stockman aimed at him. "I mean, you made your own robotic arm and made yourself walk again. I don't get why you stayed with Shredder, though- -" Raph jumped away from Stockman's aim of fire. "I mean, you can escape now, so why don't you?"

"Yeah, whatever Shredder needed you for, that seems to be coming to an end. So how about you lower your... arm... and we let you go?" Donnie asked, nearing Stockman. "I mean, we really don't wanna mess up your arm or leg supports... we're not cruel."

"Empty words," Stockman replied. He still held his robotic arm up, but he wavered a bit. They were getting to him! "Besides, Shredder would just hunt me down and punish me more."

"Stockman, come on, you know your way around technology. By now, you must have devised an escape plan. We're just trying to help you out here. An eye for an eye." Donnie immediately pressed his lips together as Stockman glared at him with his only eye. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to- -"

Stockman rolled his eye, but the two brothers could tell that Stockman was seriously considering their offer. He targeted Raphael, but was taken back when he saw the turtle drop his sais to the ground. Donnie followed his brother's actions, and the two were wide open to attack. Stockman still had his arm raised up, but he wasn't sure what to do about this. "What are you mutants trying to do here? Are you trying to prove something?"

"We're just showing you who's really on your side- - it's your choice to attack us or to escape while the chance is still on the table. Shredder's only to get more cruel, and I'm probably right when I say that you don't wanna be around to find out if that's true or not." Raph looked at him, his expression soft. "It's up to you, Baxter."

"...Shredder will send them after me. He might come after me himself," Stockman replied. He was really thinking about escaping. "All my equipment is in here, I'm going to have to start from scratch, the Foot is my livelihood..."

"Stockman, this is probably the only chance you will have of escaping this life. It might be hard to get to where you've come, but you can do it for a new purpose. There's plenty of advanced technology spread across the city. And after tonight, hopefully, Shredder won't be an issue anymore. Just," Donnie sighed. "From one scientist to another, you need to go onto another field."

They all stood there for what seemed like forever. Stockman sometimes brought his arm up higher to let the turtles know that he could easily attack them at any time, but as time passed, it was an empty threat. Even though the two terrapins knew that, they still didn't move. Finally, Stockman lowered his arm to his side, sighing. "This doesn't mean we're all friends or allies or whatever." Stockman looked to the two of them, his tone firm. "I'm just trying to get out of here." Stockman collected some things and stuffed it into a sack, lugged it over his shoulder, turned off whatever he left behind, and made his way past the two turtles. Once he was clear of the room, Donnie and Raph grabbed their weapons and breathed out a long sigh. They messaged the others, saying if they saw Stockman, to just let him pass and to not attack him.

Once their nerves about that whole ordeal wasn't so bad anymore, they continued on deeper into the hideout. They made sure to keep an eye out for any Foot members, bots, or any traps, but they didn't seem to see any. Before they went any further, they sent a message to the others, saying in a couple of minutes, to come in themselves to join in on the battle. They finally found the room where Shredder was in, and they stayed hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opening. Tiger Claw came into the room, his claws already out. Donnie and Raph nodded to each other before they dropped behind Shredder, ready to fight.

"I was wondering when you would finally show up," Shredder cackled. Donnie and Raph tensed up. "Well, come and fight then."

Not having time to think about Shredder's words, Raph and Donnie lunged for Shredder, ready for an intense fight between them and Shredder. Shredder easily knocked them away, but that didn't deter them. They kept attacking Shredder, either missing or being thrown back with every try. For some reason, Tiger Claw hadn't fought yet, which baffled the turtles, but again, they didn't have time to think about it much. Raph was a bit worried, thinking that maybe Tiger Claw had changed his mind when the plan was finally set into action or had been baiting them the entire time. When Donnie was about to lunge for Shredder again, a sudden movement caught Raph's eye, and he saw that Tiger Claw was going after Donnie. That was planned, to try to throw off Shredder, but his body language and his face were making Raph unsure of the entire situation at hand. Distracted, Shredder landed a blow on Raph's stomach and threw him across the room.

Raph groaned as he got back on his feet. Getting a few deep breaths in him, he was about to go after Shredder, but he glanced at Donnie and Tiger Claw, seeing how that was going. His heart caught in his throat as he saw Donnie pinned underneath TC, his legs and arms held down. One of TC's legs held enough weight to keep down both Donnie's legs, and TC's other leg was pressed onto one of Donnie's arms. TC had one of his arms squeezing down on Donnie's wrist, and his other arm was in the air, claws out and hovered over Donnie's face. TC's mouth was snarled up, his teeth showing. Donnie was showing true fear and confusion, but mostly fear.

Raph made a beeline for them, but stopped in his tracks when Shredder blocked his way. Raph was really irritated, trying to get around Shredder. Shredder was just so huge and could easily make a blow on Raph in any direction he tried to go. Raph wasn't having it- - he reached into his belt and threw explosive shurikens at Shredder just to buy him some time and to get around the beast. Sure enough, Shredder wasn't able to evade all of them and took some hits, and Raph took that chance to run away from him and to get to Tiger Claw.

As if in a movie, Donnie was seeing everything in slow motion. His eyes couldn't pry away from the hand that was about to deal him a great amount of damage. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Tiger Claw- - he didn't seem like himself at all. "Y-you're really selling it here, Tiger Claw, you can tone down the act now," Donnie had said when Tiger Claw had first pinned him down. "Tiger Claw, come on, st-" Tiger Claw's raised hand had stopped Donnie's sentence. There was definitely something off about him. It felt like eternity as Tiger Claw finally started to lower his hand. Donnie's heart was racing- - he knew he was definitely either getting into or was already in shock. He was helpless, he couldn't free his limbs at all, and he was feeling unbearable pressure and pain all over. All he could do was watch it happen. Donnie shut his eyes, turning his head to the side. He knew it wouldn't do much, but it was all he could do.

It took a few second for him to realize since he was in shock, but he suddenly felt the pressure and pain literally lift off of him. He waited to see if that feeling was real or if it was just in his mind, but it was definitely real. He slowly raised his limbs up just to make sure, and his eyes shot open. Everything was playing in regular speed again- - he was breathing hard. He looked around him, seeing that Tiger Claw was laying across from him on the ground. Next to TC was Raph. They both seemed like they had landed some hits on each other- - one of the sides of TC's face was starting to swell up, and it looked like he had been tackled to the ground. He couldn't quite see what was wrong with Raph, since he could only see the back side of his brother. Raph coughed roughly, placing his hands on the ground shakily and trying to prop himself up, but one of his arms gave out.

"Raph?"

Raph brought an arm to his other arm, seemingly covering something. Raph managed to sit himself up, then got on his feet. Raph was staring intensely at Tiger Claw, waiting to see if he would get back up or not. Sure enough, Tiger Claw got back up, growling and ready to engage in combat once again. Raph stood on his guard, having to release his arm to grab his sais to defend himself. Donnie looked at the ground around Raph, his focus on one little spot. The little spot was growing, and other little spots were appearing around it. Donnie looked for the source, and it was coming from the arm Raph was covering earlier. Donnie saw it. In saving his brother, Raph had managed to punch TC's face and tackle him away from Donnie, but the clawing Donnie was going to receive was landed on Raph's arm as Raph tackled TC onto the ground. Raph had large claw wounds on his arm, and there was some deep scratches, too. Raph's arm was bleeding.

"Raph!" Donnie yelled. Even though he was in shock, Donnie's adrenaline kicked in. Donnie picked up his staff and ran to aid his brother, just as Raph had done for him. Donnie stood in front of Raph, ready to defend him. He wasn't going to let Raph take another hit like that. Raph was about to protest as he stepped forwards, but shut right up as Donnie placed a hand on Raph's plastron and pushed him away. Donnie looked back at Raph, who looked shocked. "Stay back, Raphael." Raph only stared back as Donnie's attention was stuck on Tiger Claw. "Now I have a real chance on taking you down," Donnie said to TC through grit teeth. Tiger Claw seemed about ready to take Donnie up on that chance.

"Stop."

Just one word made Tiger Claw back down. He let out a snarl before Shredder joined his side, clasping a hand on TC's shoulder. Donnie backed up a bit, still high on his guard, but not about to let himself be in hitting range of those two. "Your confused expressions amuse me," Shredder said, an eerie grin on his face, if his face could even make proper expressions anymore. "I grew suspicious of how the failures of the cargo deliveries and such came to be. Stockman informed me that he had overheard Tiger Claw plotting with you turtles to rid me. I made sure Tiger Claw contacted you to come over here to carry out your pathetic plan before I had Stockman embed a mind-control device onto Tiger Claw. You turtles may have been able to deter his conscious self to go against me, but in this state, he truly stays loyal to me and only me. Your plan came to my advantage. After I dispose of you children, there will be nothing in my way to rule this pathetic planet."

"We're still up and fighting," Donnie spat. "We're not going down that easily. We- -" Donnie stopped mid-sentence as Rahzar, Bebop, Rocksteady and Fishface walked in, with three of them having something over their shoulders. They threw down whatever they were carrying, and Donnie and Raph realized that the things on the floor were Casey, April and Mikey, all tied up and with tape over their mouths. The three struggled to get free of their ropes and looked to Raph and Donnie, who were basically their only hope at that point. Shredder's goons joined Shredder and TC's sides, all of them towering over the last standing two terrapins. Donnie and Raph felt their chests get heavy as their plan was coming to shambles. Not even that- - it was the fact that the three and themselves were in real, deep trouble, and had no reinforcements.

"The time of proper disposal has finally come," Shredder laughed.

Mikey, April and Casey quietly rose to their feet, their ropes on the ground and their limbs free.

"After you are dealt with, I will only have two more Hamato clan members to easily dispose of."

Tiger Claw's hard and blank expression faded, his eyes blinking rapidly as the mind control wore off.

"They will have no family left. I- -" Shredder lifted a hand to a side of his neck, grunting as he pulled a shuriken out of his neck. He stumbled backwards as the shuriken exploded in his fingers, throwing him off. Tiger Claw, now fully self-aware, joined Donnie and Raph's side. Shredder looked up and saw that Tiger Claw was no longer under his control and became frustrated. Remnants of the embedded mind-control device showed on Tiger Claw's shoulders, and it was clear that the device was destroyed. Bebop squealed, which made Shredder turn around and see that the three teens were freed. They all looked dumbfounded, but mostly angry. Their questions were answered when something dropped from above. It stood up, stepping out from behind Casey, April and Mikey.

"You were right about one of the things you listed off, Saki." He lifted his head, now making eye contact with Shredder. "'The time of proper disposal has finally come'; that's what you said, right? Well, for that much, you were right. Tonight, you're finished."


	43. THE Mission, pt. 3

"After tonight's battle, I'll only have Splinter to finish off."

"After tonight," the sound of unsheathing swords echoed throughout the room. "you'll be done." Before anything could happen, he yelled "do it!"

Mikey smiled, pulling out three regular smoke bomb eggs. He threw them onto the ground, blinding Shredder and his goons for enough time for the four to get to Raph, Donnie and Tiger Claw. Tiger Claw looked to his side, seeing the sword-wielding teen there. "You were right."

Leo looked up at Tiger Claw. He didn't have much time to enjoy this total 'in-your-face, I-told-you' moment that he so rightfully deserved, so he simply chuckled and smiled. "Prove it." Leo looked to his brothers, Casey and April, whose faces were lit up. Only moments ago, their faces were grim and looking lost of hope. He smiled at them warmly. He really wanted to come back home under better circumstances, but life gets in the way. He now faced Shredder and his remaining goons. Everyone was ready for battle. It was the final showdown. Before anyone moved, Leo remembered her words:

**_'Take down Shredder for both of us, okay?'_ **

Leo drew in a deep breath, ready to attack.

"Okay."

* * *

An hour before, Leo stepped into the lair slowly. He remembered how homesick he had been on the way back, and being in the lair was getting to him. It was pretty late, and seeing that his brothers weren't in the pit or in the lab, he assumed they were all asleep by now. He didn't want to bother them, so he went to the dojo, wanting to see if Master Splinter was still awake. He stepped in slowly, a bit upset when he didn't see Splinter under the tree. _'He must be asleep,'_ Leo thought to himself. _'I should just greet everyone in the morning.'_

"What are you doing here?"

Leo tensed up a bit. That's not what Leo was exactly expecting as a welcome-back from his father, but he faced the wooden doors of Splinter's little room, taking in a deep breath. He brought his hands up to open the doors, but hesitated. He took in another breath before he gripped his hands over the frame, ready to open it. Before he could, the doors were swung open on the other side. Leo took a step back, raising his head up to see his father's face.

"It seems a bit early for yo- -" Splinter stopped his sentence as his eyes fell onto the blue ones in front of him. They were both standing in front of each other in shock. The corners of Splinter's mouth creased up. "My son... you've returned..."

Leo looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-I'm sorry, I'm not sure if my arrival is sooner than you wanted it to be, I just- -" Leo was cut off by Splinter's arms wrapping around him. Leo was taken back for a moment, but his arms immediately found their way around his father, holding him tightly. Splinter brought a hand up to the back of Leo's head, his thumb brushing it. Leo smiled, laughing a bit as he drew in shaky, deep breaths. "For a minute there, I thought you were mad at me for coming back."

Splinter laughed now, lowering his head a bit. "I could never be upset to see you, my son. I am glad you have returned home. Your family has missed you. I have missed you."

Leo was really trying to sound okay, but the crack in his voice gave it away. "I missed you too, Father." Immediately, the tears that Leo tried to blink away were falling down his face. "I'm such a baby," Leo laughed.

Splinter chuckled a bit. "Nonsense. I have tears as well, Leonardo. It is good to see you in front of me, instead of the spiritual plane."

Leo laughed again. He felt like a kid again, crying this much and holding his father so tightly. "I feel the same." After a moment, Leo finally calmed down and loosened his grip enough to pull his upper body back so that he could look his father in the eyes again. "I can't imagine how much of a mess I'll be when I see the others when they wake up tomorrow."

Splinter's smile faltered then. "Your brothers, Casey, April- - they are on the mission to take down the Shredder."

"What?" Leo's arms dropped off his father. "That's tonight? They're all there now?" Leo's happiness was now replaced with worry. _'Maybe that's the reason why I felt that today I absolutely had to return home- - are they in trouble?'_ Leo looked up to Splinter. "Do you know where the hideout is? Maybe there's still time for me to go help them- - there has to be time."

"Everything you need to know is in Donatello's lab- - hurry, Leonardo, this mission is difficult. Prepare as much as you can, and get to the others."

"Okay, I'll go right now!" Leo dashed out of the dojo and into Donnie's lab. He grabbed the equipment Donnie created, got the location, made sure he had his katanas on him, and headed for the exit. "Bye, Master Splinter!"

"Good luck, my son!"

* * *

Tiger Claw and Leo went for Shredder, Mikey went for Rahzar, Donnie went for Fishface, Casey went for Rocksteady, and April went for Bebop. Raph was ready to engage in the fight, but the others were shielding him since he was injured. It was a bit frustrating for the turtle, but he understood why. While he had time, he let his injured arm get a rest. When he saw that Rocksteady was starting to get the upper hand, he drew out a deep breath, grabbed his sais, and charged to Casey's side. Since Shredder's goons had been taken down earlier, their stamina and movement weren't at their pique, so battling them was a bit less difficult this time. Explosives went about the room, and eventually, Shredder's goons were once again down. All the teens and Tiger Claw now had their attention on Shredder, and their adrenaline was kicking in. They collectively thought _'we can do this!'_

"I will easily eliminate the seven of you pathetic fools," Shredder growled. Shredder turned his attention to Raph suddenly. "Starting with you."

Immediately, the other teens stepped up in front of Raph. Raph glared at the monstrosity of a mutation in front of him as he stepped in front of the teens, holding his arms out to keep them from stepping forward again. "I'm just as much of a threat to you as they are." Raph slid out his sais, giving them a twirl before his fingers found their place in the gaps of his weapons. "Injured or not."

Shredder laughed. "Regardless, you will be easy to kill."

Raph smiled now, chuckling. "We'll see about that." With that said, Shredder charged at Raphael. Raph could see that Shredder's petty hatred was leading his moves, and he remembered the mantra Splinter told him months ago. He evaded Shredder's strikes, landing some kicks on Shredder's knees and shins every time he did. Shredder seemed unharmed every time Raph kicked him, but he knew eventually, the force he had put into his kicks would get to Shredder, and that's all the assurance he needed. Thick skin or not, no one is invincible. Raph slid under Shredder's arm, getting one last powerful kick to land behind Shredder's knees before Shredder had gashed Raph's shoulder and threw him back. Raph hissed as he saw that the shoulder gash was on the same arm that he had gotten clawed by Tiger Claw before. His arm was feeling very pressured yet weak. He breathed heavily, standing back up. "Even one handed, I'll get more hits on you."

While Raph had been thrown back, Mikey and Donnie had stepped in. Mikey went for Shredder's face while Donnie aimed to get Shredder to fall in any way he could. Mikey jumped away at Shredder's strikes. Some strikes managed to leave cuts and long scratches on him, but that didn't deter the bouncy turtle. He ejected the blades in his nunchaku handles, getting behind Shredder. Mikey leaped into the air, and as he went back down, he aimed for Shredder's shoulders. He put all his weight into his arms, making sure to leave as much of an injury as he could on Shredder. The blades sunk into Shredder's shoulders, and Shredder growled. Mikey knew whatever came next was going to hurt him, and probably leave a mark, but knowing that he struck Shredder, he was satisfied. Shredder grabbed Mikey's shell, hauled him over his shoulder, and threw him towards a wall.

While he had been doing that, Donnie ejected the blade in his bo staff and struck one of Shredder's legs. When Shredder bent over from the pain, Donnie kicked the mutant giant and watched as he fell onto the ground. Shredder quickly got back up and grabbed Donnie's staff as it hovered over him and threw it, along with Donnie, away from him. Donnie had skid against the ground on one of his arms, and he had finally crashed against a wall. Donnie grit his teeth as he struggled to sit up, his arm feeling numb yet like he was being stuck with pins all over. He knew that wasn't a great sign. He looked around him, trying to see where Mikey had landed. When he saw that Mikey was only a couple of feet at his side, he went over to his little brother, who hadn't gotten up since he had been thrown. He bent down to listen for breathing as best he could, relieved when he heard Mikey breathe.

"Mikey?" Donnie said, his voice a bit dry. Donnie shook Mikey gently, trying to wake him. He grabbed one of Mikey's arms and hovered it over Mikey's face. He waited a couple of seconds to see if he could feel any movement or jerks in Mikey's arm. When he hadn't, he dropped the arm on Mikey's face. Mikey hadn't reacted or stirred with his own hand falling hard on his face. Donnie bit his lip, his eyes feeling heavy. Donnie saw how deep and long the gashes Shredder had gotten on Mikey were, which only piqued his worry. He looked over to the others- - April and Casey had been dealing with Shredder, but Leo and Raph were waiting for a word on Mikey from Donnie. Donnie shook his head. Raph and Leo cursed under their breaths. Mikey was down. Donnie shakily got up- - although he could use his bo staff well enough with just one hand, the pain on his other arm, his shell, and a part of his face was strong. He would keep fighting, but he wasn't sure how long he would still be standing. Nevertheless, Donnie was ready to step in when he was needed, but until then, he shielded his little brother.

Leo and Raph joined in when Casey and April had been on Shredder for a while. April threw her tessen at Shredder while she hovered heavy objects and threw them at Shredder, trying to weaken him in any way possible. Shredder dodged sometimes, but the times the objects landed on him, it deterred him for brief moments. In those moments, Casey landed hits on Shredder's chest and face really well. Casey planted explosive pucks around Shredder's feet, making sure to jump back whenever Shredder stepped on one. Over time, the explosions were weakening Shredder's legs along with the injury Donnie had landed on one of them. Raph and Leo had covered the back of Shredder, trying to get good enough hits onto Shredder whenever they could. It was hard to penetrate the overly mutated skin, so they really had to try. When April had landed another heavy object on Shredder, it had landed on his face. Shredder growled loudly- - that was for sure a good hit!- - and stumbled backwards, which was the perfect chance for Leo and Raph to get good stabs into Shredder's back, which they did. Shredder was growing angrier by the minute at the fact that the teens were actually managing to harm him, despite his many advantages.

While Shredder turned to try to strike Raph and Leo, Casey made sure none of the teens were touching Shredder before he brought out his self-made taser that was embedded in his glove. He activated it and grabbed one of Shredder's arms, standing back as best he could as the strong volts of electricity went throughout Shredder's body. Even though Shredder was being electrocuted, he turned around and towered over Casey. Leo and Raph immediately tried to divert Shredder's attention to them, but they were too late. Casey grabbed onto Shredder's arm again, electrocuting him, but Shredder was still able to move. Shredder grabbed onto Casey, and the electricity traveled to Casey's body. Shouts from the teens pierced the air as Shredder lifted Casey in the air and threw the teen onto the ground. Shredder was no longer being electrocuted, and he was determined not to be anymore. He raised his leg, about to crush Casey underneath his foot, when he was suddenly pushed back by an unseen force. When he looked back up, he saw April rushing over to Casey, dragging him away from Shredder's range so that he wouldn't be injured any more.

"You," Shredder yelled, his glare stuck on April as he stood back up. "Insolent pest!" He stomped towards April, who was ready to throw more hovering objects at him and had her tessen in hand. April threw the objects at him and was a bit shocked when he didn't reel back when all of them hit him. April's heart was racing as she stood in a battle stance, her tessen ready in her hand. With Shredder in her close range, she ducked under his striking arms and left deep cuts on his chest. She was aiming for his heart, determined to significantly weaken him. Shredder grabbed her back and lifted her up as she struggled to get out of his grasp. He tightened his hold on her, grinning maliciously as she yelled in pain. He kept squeezing tighter, wanting to feel the life drain from her, when something suddenly blocked his vision. He waved his arm around trying to grab whatever turtle was on him. Shredder yelled as he felt two pierces on his upper chest. He managed to grab the turtle responsible, and growled when he saw it was Raph.

Raph smiled smugly while glaring at Shredder. He knew whatever came after his words was probably going to make him unable to fight. "Even one handed, I got more hits on you, you pathetic giant." With this being true, Shredder growled once again as swung his arms together, making Raph and April crash against each other very harshly. He threw them onto the ground, peering at them like they were worthless worms as they writhed in pain and groaned. Raph and April lifted their heads, glaring up at Shredder. Shredder removed the two sais that were stuck in his chest and aimed each over the two teens. As his arms started to strike down, something stopped the movement. Donnie had ran in front of the two and lifted his bo staff up, watching as the sais pierced in and out of his weapon. Donnie's arm was shaking as he struggled to keep Shredder's arms up. As Donnie's arm gave out, and Shredder now ready to take out the purple-clad turtle, Shredder kicked onto Donnie's chest and sent him down on top of the two teens when he felt a long gash strike diagonally along his back. He turned sharply to face Leo, with some of Shredder's blood on his blades.

"You're not as strong as you thought you were, Saki," Leo panted. "Not even half of it." Leo saw, from behind Shredder, Donnie and Tiger Claw dragging Raph and April away from Shredder so that they would no longer be in harm's way. Donnie, trying to stand fully back up, bent back over quickly, his arms wrapping around his chest. Donnie, along with Raph, Casey, April and Mikey, were in no shape to fight anymore. It was all up to him and Tiger Claw. Tiger Claw stood in front of the fallen teens, guarding them if Shredder were to try to go for them. Leo looked back to Shredder. "Your own petty vendetta will be your end."

Shredder stared blankly at the turtle, his head slightly tilted. "In any circumstance, you turtles, Hamato Yoshi and those who pathetically follow you will all perish."

Shredder's blank stare and confident threat was eerie. It sent shivers down Leo's body. "The only circumstance is where you're dead."

"Unlikely."

"There's still two of us up. With how injured you are, it's likely."

Shredder straightened his head up, staring intensely at Leo as he brought his arms up. In between the slits of his hands showed kunai knives. Leo raised his sword in front of him, ready to block them whenever Shredder threw them. In a swift motion, instead of shooting the kunai knives at Leo, Shredder instead flicked his arms back and had the kunai knives aim behind him. Surely enough, all of them hit Tiger Claw, just as Shredder had planned. Tiger Claw growled loudly as the kunai knives hit each of his limbs, and two landing on his feet. It put enough pressure on TC's legs and feet to make him fall back. Leo tensed up as he watched TC fall, and his eyes darted back to Shredder, who was grinning blankly at him.

"Fate is on my side." Shredder charged at Leo, his skin ejecting its own version of blades from Shredder's hands. Shredder swiftly struck at Leo. Leo could only defend himself for now- - it was hard to find an opening, even with how large Shredder was- - and hope to slice Shredder's hands. Shredder left cuts and gashes on Leo's face, arms and collar bone. Leo hissed, narrowing his eyes as he ran back to distance himself. Shredder charged again, not giving Leo time to catch a proper breath. Leo held his breath as his katanas and Shredder's weird skin blades clashed. Leo looked Shredder in the eye as he pushed against Shredder. "In this moment is your downfall, Leonardo, and your rat master is next."

Leo suddenly let out a loud yell, lowering one of his katanas and striking at Shredder's chest. Shredder let out a loud yell now, looking down at where Leo had pierced. They were both shocked to see that Leo had struck very close to Shredder's heart- - the blade fully entering through and exiting out of Shredder's back. Before Shredder could grab Leo's blade, Leo quickly slid his katana back out and took many steps back. Leo had almost struck Shredder's heart... but with that close call, there was no way Shredder was going to chance it happening again. Leo's hands were shaking as he tightly gripped the handles of his katanas. All he could think was _'fuck.'_

Shredder laughed loudly as he started slowly stomping towards Leo again. "After tonight, nothing will stand in my way of dominating this worthless planet." Shredder kept stomping towards Leo until he had Leo right where he wanted him- - pinned up in a corner, with no where to run. Shredder lifted his arm up, his skin blades out, and struck at Leo's neck. He missed, but one of the gaps of his skin blades was tightly at the sides of Leo's neck. Leo was trapped. Shredder raised his other arm, aimed it at Leo's face, and stared the turtle in his eyes. "I will be the last thing you see as you leave this world."

Before Shredder could deliver the finishing strike, a cloud of white smoke messed with his vision. He coughed as he searched around, trying to find the source. He heard movement around him, growling as he couldn't trace it. When bats smacked him in the face, Shredder was irritated out of his mind, but Leo's heart was swelling with hope. Shredder, about to finish Leo off anyways, suddenly felt painful pricks on the arm that had Leo pinned on the wall. Shredder's arm went numb immediately, and he felt sharp pain shooting throughout his body. When the smoke finally cleared, he saw what the pricks were- - snake venom-filled fangs. He looked at his side, seeing two figures standing a few feet away from him. With Shredder distracted, Leo quickly ripped Shredder's arm away from him. Shredder's skin-blades snapped off painfully, stuck on the wall. Leo jabbed Shredder's side before Shredder could try to hit him, and Leo joined the side of the two figures.

"What is this?!" Shredder snarled. Finally, the smoke cleared away, and Shredder froze in place, his eyes on the figure in the middle.

"Now, **_that_** is a mutant," the figure in the hat giggled.

The figure in the middle smiled for a moment, but quickly wiped the smile away and glared at Shredder. The figure lifted their naginata up to Shredder's face, lifting their face up and removing their face protection to reveal their face. "No, _**I**_ will be the last thing you see as _**you**_ leave this world, Saki."


	44. THE End

Leo looked to them, a child-like smile on his face. "You came."

Shini walked to Leo's side, leaning an arm on his shoulder. Harmony smiled at him warmly, for a brief moment, before turning her attention back to Shredder.

"Karai, my daughter, you've returned- -"

"I am not your daughter," Harmony hissed, drawing in a deep breath. "And that is not my name."

"My daughter," Shredder continued. "I never wanted to hurt you. I wanted to keep you from harm's way."

Harmony breathed shakily, laughing dryly after. "Really? This coming from the one who played me like a puppet." Harmony lowered her naginata, inching her face a bit closer to Saki's. "You mutated me. You used me as a weapon, as a trophy. All you did was put me in harm's way."

"What are you saying," Shredder said, his voice low suddenly.

"I'm saying, loud and clear, I want nothing to do with you, from this point on." Harmony raised her naginata again. "I'm saying, I will take you down."

Shredder narrowed his eyes. "So be it." He swiftly swung at Harmony, missing as she jumped away.

She laughed again. "I may have a lot to learn, but I've watched you enough over the years to know what kind of moves you'll use." This angered him, and he threw more punches and strikes her way. She evaded most of them, not pausing whenever Shredder did manage to hit her. She saw Leo and Shini ready to jump in and join in, but she stopped them. "Let me take him on, just until I actually need some help."

Leo and Shini weren't crazy about that. "MiMi, are you sure?" Shini asked.

"I'm- -" Harmony ducked as Shredder swung at her again. She kicked his stomach hard before backing away a bit, waiting for his next move. "- -sure. You two should get the others out of here while they still have the chance."

Hesitantly, Shini and Leo obeyed her suggestion, going to the others. Leo looked at Tiger Claw, who had pulled out the kunai knives. Tiger Claw was licking the wounds he could. He saw from the corner of his eye that Leo and Shini were staring at him, and he narrowed his eyes a bit. "What are you two looking at? Saliva is the body's natural healing element."

"Big cat," Shini breathed.

Leo smiled a bit sheepishly at Shini's comment as Tiger Claw gave an unimpressed look. "How are you holding up?" Leo asked.

"I am fine. I am still able to fight, but the young cub wants us to get the others out of here, right?"

Leo nodded. "We really should- - if Shredder tries to get them even once, they'll be out." Leo looked down at Mikey, who still hadn't woken up. "I'm already worried about it." Leo took in a deep breath. "Okay, Tiger Claw, I'm assuming you have enough strength to carry at least two of them?" TC nodded. "Take Casey and Mikey, but be careful with them. I'll get Donnie and Raph since they can manage to stand on their feet and help them walk outta here. Shini, you get April, okay? If she can stand up, be her support. But if she can't, carry her on your back or in your arms- - your call. Got it?"

"Sure, sure, but tell me who is who?" Shini asked, flashing an innocent smile. "I want to know who are part of your dork squad."

Leo laughed genuinely at that, despite the current situation. "Sure. Those two that Tiger Claw is carrying- -" Leo pointed at them as TC slung each of them over his shoulders. "The one in the orange mask is Michelangelo, or Mikey. The human guy is Casey." Leo bent down a bit as Donnie and Raph slung their arms over him, slowing standing up with them. They both immediately let out pained sounds. "The purple masked one is Donatello, or Donnie, and the red masked one is Raphael, or Raph. Fun fact, they and the orange masked turtle are my brothers." Shini laughed at that rolling her eyes.

"Hear that, Don? Hero-boy's got jokes," Raph said, his voice sounding a bit strained.

"What a funny guy," Donnie added, helping Raph egg on Leo. "He has humor after all."

Shini laughed as Leo's smile turned into a pout. "Well, I'm Shinigami, but you two can call me Shini." They both tried to do a gentlemanly bow but immediately regret it, doubling over in pain for a moment before they weren't in as much pain as before. Shini turned her head to April, the last teen who lay on the ground. Shini bent down to her, brushing the strands of hair from April's face. "Hello? Are you awake?" April groaned a bit before she opened her eyes a bit and looked up. She was alarmed by the new face she hadn't seen before. She must have looked angry, because Shini put her hands up in a surrendering stance. "Don't worry; I'm a friend of Leonardo's. I'm here to get you out of here." Shini peered over April before meeting eyes with her again. "Can you stand up?"

April nodded a bit, holding her hand up to her head as a jolt of pain ran through the top of her head at the movement. "Y-yeah, I just need a minute- - I've got a killer headache," April replied.

"Would you like a piggy back ride? Or perhaps to be carried bridal style?" Shini asked. April saw that Shini was asking genuinely and not mockingly, a bit surprised at the offer. "Anything to get you out of harm's way as quickly as possible." Shini and Leo looked back as they heard Harmony yell suddenly, their hearts racing. Shini faced April again, her face looking alarmed now. "Yes or no? We don't have much time."

April nodded, slowly sitting up, then standing up. "Piggy back is better," April said. Shini nodded, bending down. April lamely put herself on Shini's back. Shini hoisted April up a couple of times before starting to leave the building. Hearing another yell from Harmony, Shini quickly apologized before she quickened her steps. It hurt April's head, but she knew time was of the essence. When they were outside with the others, Shini set April down gently by the rest of the teens who were wounded. Before Shini turned to leave, April halted her. Shini looked back at her, an eyebrow raised at her. "What's your name?"

Shini gave April a small smile. "I'm your new friend, Shini."

* * *

Holding off Shredder while Leo and the others were trying to get the wounded out of there was really expending Harmony's energy. With Shredder finally grasping the fact that Harmony was no longer interested being affiliated with him, he was showing no mercy. He had left as many marks on her as she had on him. Her legs and sides were taking most of the hits, but she was still fighting. Her sides felt raw. Harmony was fighting in her true form, not wanting to be in her snake form unless she really needed to. With how long her snake arms were, Shredder could easily grab them if he had the chance to.

The first yell Harmony let out was when Shredder had slashed one of her raw sides. She touched the area, wincing immediately. She looked at her hand, seeing red already. She narrowed her eyes at Shredder, taking in a deep breath. "Is that how it is? Fine." She swiftly threw shurikens at areas where Shredder was heavily damaged, grinning as he growled and glared at her. "Two can play that game."

The second yell, Shredder had left a gash on the side of her face. She hissed, and before she knew it, she took on her snake form. In her mutant form, she was much more swift, flexible, and able to use as much venom as she wanted against her enemy. Every time Shredder struck at her, she managed to bite him somewhere. Though it didn't seem like the venom was very effective on him, it would slow down his movements for brief moments, and those moments were her time to strike.

When she was about to strike near his heart, Shredder grabbed her arm, clenching his fist tighter around it until her arm felt numb. Harmony hissed, trying to get her arm out of his grasp, but to little avail. Shredder reached out and grabbed her other arm, pulling her closer to him, his eyes boring into hers. He raised his leg, ready to kick her abdomen, when smoke appeared from out of nowhere again. He growled, holding her arms tighter so that she couldn't use the smoke to her advantage. Harmony bent her head down and bit around one of his sides, and sure enough, his hold on her was no more. She whipped her tail around his legs, reeling him off balance while she backed out of the smoke.

Shini and Leo were at her sides, and they were more than ready to aid her. Shredder stepped out of the smoke, his eyes landing on Shini. Harmony and Leo were immediately worried now that he was targeting her. "Shinigami. Cowardly, as always, relying on tricks to avoid real combat."

Shini glared at Shredder, raising her fists. "Allow me to prove just how wrong you are!" Shini barked back, showing no fear. "If anything, it is you who is the coward; relying on mutagen and artificial power!" Shini felt eyes boring at her sides, and she saw Leo and Harmony giving her looks. Shini immediately blushed, laughing sheepishly. "Of course not you two. You never asked to become mutants but I love you both just the way you are~!" Shini cleared her throat, turning her attention back to Shredder. "Anyways, come get me, coward."

"Gladly." Shredder lunged for her, striking her arm with his fist. Shini acted as if it was nothing as she brought out her weapon, striking Shredder's neck. Her weapon, similar to nunchakus, had a handle shaped like the moon, and her chain was very lengthy, making long distance and short distance attacks easy to carry out. Shini wrapped her weapon around Shredder's body, slamming her foot down on the remaining chain and watching as Shredder fell to the ground as she gave the chain a good yank. She retrieved her weapon as fast as she could, but she gasped when she felt it suddenly jolt to a halt. She looked up and saw that Shredder had grabbed onto the chain, glaring at her. He stood back up, pulling the chain swiftly. Shini was about to let go, but he was just a second faster than her, and before she knew it, she was flying through the air. Shredder swung her around until he was at full swing, then he let go of the chain, watching as Shini shot across the room. Just like the teens before her, she smacked onto the ground, skidding until a wall stopped her.

"Shinigami!" Leo and Harmony yelled, watching in horror.

Shini shakily sat up, letting the two remaining teens know that she was conscious. As upset as she was about it, she didn't have enough energy to fight anymore. Shini stood up, worrying Leo and Harmony more. Shredder, seeing her still standing, charged towards her. Shini smiled weakly before she had another cloud of smoke appear. She escaped, using her remaining energy to join the other injured teens. Shini was grateful she wasn't too injured, so when it was time to leave the scene, she could help carry the others or offer support to them. As she ran from the fight, she silently thought to herself _'Leonardo, Harmony; it is up to you both to save us all. I have faith in you.'_

* * *

Harmony turned to Shredder, her lips snarled upwards. "You'll pay for hurting her!" Harmony hissed, now in her human form.

"You two are weak, pathetic. You two will never be able to defeat me. You both will fall."

Leo licked his lips, biting on it for a moment before he replied, "If we're going down, you're going down with us." Leo was really hoping that he wouldn't have to use his last resort, but it's all that he had left. Around the building, there were little explosives, waiting to be detonated. Leo wouldn't press it unless he could ensure that he and Harmony could escape, but if that wasn't an option, the main goal of taking down Shredder would still be achieved... just in a bittersweet way. "We'll never let you set foot out of this room ever again."

"Nothing will stop my reign over this world. Once I rid of your pathetic clan, nothing will stand in my way. All these years of waiting- - it has finally come. I have no regrets, I despair nothing and no one. I will make sure the world understands that nothing, not family, nor even the woman who I loved, will stand in my way of rule of this world. Honor will be a word of the past. Opposition will be handled swiftly. All will kneel before me."

Harmony and Leo felt a sudden rush of adrenaline run throughout their bodies. Shredder's words made their blood boil, and hearing how far he was planning on taking his reign of terror just pushed their drive to stop him once and for all. They both let out guttural yells, their throats raw after, but their bodies feeling light. They unsheathed their blades, glaring at Shredder with grins on their faces.

"You're done for!" They both yelled, charging at Shredder. This was it. Either they succeeded or they failed. This was their last shot. Everyone received more wounds, but the teens were inflicting more upon the giant mutant. Blood shed, bruises and cuts were becoming more frequent- - nonetheless, none of them were slowing down. Leo thought methodically as he struck at Shredder's side. He quickly jumped away from Shredder, looking at Harmony before he went behind Shredder and started to seemingly run away. Harmony was a bit shocked at first, but when she saw Leo stop and turn around, she caught on. She started running backwards, distancing herself from Shredder.

Shredder looked at both of the teens, cackling. "When one is on the brink of death, their true colors show. You two are pathetic, and I will make sure your lives end slowly and painfully." His eyes on Harmony, Shredder narrowed them as he charged towards her full speed, yelling.

As Shredder charged for Harmony, Leo started charging Shredder's back. He focused his breathing, his katana at his side as he ran up behind the mutant. Would he have nightmares about this? How would he feel? What would this do to him? Those were things Leo assumed he would be thinking, but instead, he was thinking of the evil that would be lifted off of this world; the positive pay off it would bring. Leo breathed out, raising his katana as he leaped into the air. He honed all of his strength into his arms as he swung his blade down. The moment it made contact, everything played in slow motion.

Harmony made sure to not look at Shredder's back to see Leo. If she did, Shredder would quickly catch on, and their plan would be worthless. She focused on Shredder's empty, dark eyes, feeling her body tense up for a moment. Was this going to deter her training? Was this going to reel back all the progress she made? Would this haunt her in her sleep and waking moments? She shook those thoughts out of her head. She focused on the main thing: she was ridding the world of an evil that had stuck around for longer than it needed to. Harmony raised her naginata, charging at Shredder at full speed.

The piercing yell that suddenly stopped is what made everything play in real time for them both. Harmony was the first to strike Shredder. She stared at where her naginata had pierced through, in and out, watching its color start to drain out of the wound. Harmony watched as Shredder's 'impenetrable' heart almost completely stopped beating. Shredder had yelled the moment it happened; he looked down, seeing that his heart had been stabbed through. It hadn't stopped, so he was ready to strike down Harmony, still yelling. Harmony's eyes had trailed past Shredder's face and were looking above him. Shredder was about to turn to see what she was staring at, but she yelled "I told you!" and caught his attention. "I'm the last thing you'll see as you leave this world, Saki." Before he could figure out what, all of his thoughts, his feelings, his body were suddenly swept away. At that moment, Leo's katana had sliced all the way through Shredder's neck, beheading him. Shredder's eyes were glued onto Harmony as it happened.

Harmony quickly retrieved her naginata and backed away as Shredder's headless body collapsed onto the floor. Leo landed on the floor, backing away as well as it fell. Their eyes eventually landed on Shredder's head itself. A shocked and pained expression was permanently stuck on the head. Somehow, it looked more gray than it had before. They both tried to collect themselves as quickly as they could, but they were reeling at the fact that they had actually done it. They actually defeated Shredder once and for all. Oroku Saki was no more. Harmony went over to the head and grabbed it by the top, taking it outside with them as they exit the building. When they were far away enough, Leo pressed the button, and a huge explosion immediately followed.

Harmony raised the head, having it face the ruined, flaming building. She then dropped it to the ground, watching it as it landed on its side. She looked at Leo, who was already looking at her. His face looked blank, but it showed signs of fatigue. What kind of fatigue, though, she couldn't figure out. Leo eventually gave her a small smile, but it felt weird with the situation at hand. Leo joined her side, both of them slinging their arms around each other's shoulders as they started to head to the others, ready to go and deliver the news, if they even still needed to.


	45. Epilogue

He slowly opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at the brightness. When his eyes adjusted, he opened them fully, seeing the top of the lair. His body felt heavy... was he hurt? He managed to move his limbs just a bit, groaning quietly at the regret of his decision. He heard little gasps and muffled voices from a far, now coming closer. Uh oh, was he in a dangerous situation? Is his vision messing with him? Is him seeing the top of the lair just a hallucination? _Yikes, that sucks, what happened?_ he thought. He held his breath as he saw familiar faces in front of him and around him. Some of their faces were lit up with smiles, some of them were teary-eyed. He didn't have time to register their faces individually before the unison of his name being yelled caught his attention.

"Mikey!" The turtles, April and Casey yelled, their hearts swelling. "You're awake!"

Just as Mikey had done to him back at the farm house, Leo engulfed Mikey in his arms and held on tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried! I knew you'd wake up soon! I missed you, Michelangelo!"

Mikey smiled genuinely, but holy shell was this hug really hurting him. His face looked pained. Raph and Donnie laughed, their eyes a bit wet as they looked at Mikey.

"C'mon, Leo, give him some space," Raph said, pulling Leo off of Mikey.

"Yeah, let him gather everything first," Donnie added on. "You're doing to him what he did to you at the farm house when you woke up!"

Leo laughed bashfully, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help it," Leo replied, facing back to Mikey. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Mikey shrugged. "It was worth it," Mikey replied, smiling.

"In that case..." Raph, Donnie, Leo and Casey eyed each other before smiling, looking back at Mikey. "GROUP HUG!"

Mikey started laughing as they engulfed him in a hug. They were careful as to not squeeze too hard. Mikey lifted his arms up a bit and wrapped them around the guys, trying his best to hug them back. He groaned a bit as they hugged a bit tighter, cueing them to loosen their grips. He still wasn't sure what was going on...?

The guys pulled away from Mikey, giving him gentle head rubs and saying stuff about how they were worried and that they were happy he finally woke up. Mikey was about to ask what they meant when he was pulled into another hug. This hug was gentle but comforting. April brushed the back of Mikey's head as she carefully hugged him. "I'm glad to have you back, Mikey," April said. Mikey hugged her back for a moment. When she pulled away, he sighed.

"So... what's going on? What happened?" Mikey asked. "As much as I love seeing you guys happy, you're kinda freaking me out with this 'worrying' and 'missing me' stuff."

Raph sat next to his little brother. "You were out like a light, Mikey. After Shredder threw you against that wall, you went unconscious, and you stayed that way for a couple of days." Raph showed a sad smile. "You really scared me there, little brother. I'm just glad you're okay."

"How are you feeling?" Donnie asked, sitting by Mikey's feet.

"Sore... uh, I feel stinging on random parts of my body," Mikey replied. "I'm gonna heal up fine, right, D?"

Donnie smiled. "Yeah, you'll be good in no time."

Mikey sighed, relieved. "So, what happened? Did you guys do it? Is Shred-head finished?"

Casey grinned now. "He's done for good!" Casey cheered. "He's outta our lives, finally."

Mikey's eyes lit up. "Whoa, really! How'd you guys do it?"

Raph, Donnie, Casey and April shook their heads, then nodded them towards Leo. Leo, now in the spotlight, looked away. "Come on, it wasn't just me, you guys," Leo said, rubbing his arm.

Now that Mikey was really looking, he was now noticing that all of them had bandages somewhere on their bodies. Donnie had one of his arms in a sling, a side of his face had a large bandaid on it, along with the same leg on that side, and had his chest bandaged. Raph had bandages around his stomach area and around one of his arms, too, mainly around his shoulder and the lower half of his arm. April had bandages on her elbows, and she had bruises that were fading on her face and arms, as well as Raph. Casey had bandages around his whole torso and he had a lot of ice packs on him. Casey also had some of what looked to be burn marks. Leo had bandages on his face, upper arms, collar bone, and around his neck.

Mikey looked down at himself and saw bandages on each of his limbs, along with some around his stomach. He wondered if his wounds had healed at all, or if they were still serious. Donnie must have caught onto Mikey's train of thought, because he randomly said "you still need lots of rest, but your wounds are much better than before." Mikey looked at Donnie, giving him a small smile.

"So, Leo, if you didn't do it by yourself, are you saying that, by us helping, we all took down Shredder?" Mikey asked.

Leo harrumphed, crossing his arms. "Well, that too," Leo replied, narrowing his eyes as the others started to egg Leo on about being the 'hero-boy.' Leo laughed along, and when it quieted down, he got back to the question. "I didn't take him down by myself. Our sis helped me."

Mikey looked at April. "Whoa, really? You and Leo took down Shredder together?" Mikey asked.

April was surprised at first, but then she laughed. "That's nice of you, Mikey, but he didn't mean me. He mea- -"

"Is everything okay in there? Is he still awake? I hope I didn't miss it!" They all turned their heads as the voice came from the dojo.

"Yeah, he's still awake! Bring Master Splinter with you two!" April yelled back.

Mikey became confused. "Who's that?" He jumped a bit as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of the dojo entrance. Mikey panicked, thinking they were under attack for a moment. As he scanned the faces of his brothers, Casey and April, though, he calmed down. They didn't seem on guard, so he lowered his. When Mikey turned to face April again, he jumped again and let out a little shriek as a new, unfamiliar face appeared in front of him. "Who's that?!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Michelangelo!" She removed her hat, running a hand over her hair and smoothing it down. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted to surprise you! I've been waiting for us to officially meet!"

Mikey calmed down, smiling politely. "Wow, you're pretty," Mikey said.

She laughed, smiling. "Oh, I know, but thank you. My name is Shinigami, but you can call me Shini, since we're friends."

"We're friends?" Mikey asked. "Awesome! I made a new friend! So, how did you become my friend, exactly?"

"Because of me."

Mikey turned his head as he heard the familiar voice. His eyes widened when he saw that her hair was now longer, she had limited make up, and she was looking at him warmly. Mikey felt himself tearing up as he smiled wide. "You came back!" Mikey was the one who initiated the hug, not caring about the pain.

Harmony was thrown off for a moment, but she hugged Mikey back. "I needed to see you again. I'm sorry I left the way I did, I- -"

"I don't care about that, I'm just glad you're here and you're okay!" Mikey chirped. Mikey pulled away from her, seeing that she had some bandages wrapped around her waist and had a large bandaid on her face. "Are you okay?"

Harmony smiled, nodding. "I'll be fine now that I know you're awake." Harmony rubbed the top of his head, giving him another smile. "Shini made you something."

Mikey quickly looked back at Shini. "What'd you make?"

Shini made a platter of cookies appear from thin air, amazing Mikey two-fold. One, because magic! and two, because sweets! Mikey thanked her many time as he ate, insisting on sharing with her, which she gladly accepted. Mikey had some chocolate around his mouth, not realizing it until his father knelt in front of him. Mikey felt the tears come again as he saw that Splinter had tears in his eyes, along with a big smile.

Splinter wiped away the chocolate on Mikey's face, chuckling warmly. "My son," Splinter said, before pulling Mikey into his arms. Mikey started sniffling, hugging Splinter with all his strength. Even though it didn't feel like he had been unconscious for days, just seeing his father teary-eyed and smiling at him made him bawl like a little kid again. No matter what, Mikey would always be happy to see his father and get his attention.

The moment was very sentimental, and it was getting to the other teens. April and Shini fanned their eyes, trying to dry away their tears. Casey just let the tears fall, not really caring. It was a really sweet moment to him, and he knew that if it was him, he'd be just like Mikey, too. Raph and Harmony tried not to cry as they watched the moment with melting smiles. Leo wiped away at his tears, smiling at his father and his little brother.

"Come on, let's give them their space," Casey said quietly. "They both need this, dudes."

* * *

Casey, Raph, Shini and April were all in the kitchen, getting something to eat after all that sentiment made them feel hungry, for some reason. They were all getting along well with Shini, exchanging stories. Whenever Leo walked into the kitchen, they egged him on, laughing as Leo groaned and immediately walked right back out. The stories about Leo got them all laughing, but they were interested in learning about Shini and how it was in Japan, and she was glad to have the spotlight on her.

Meanwhile, Harmony and Leo were in the dojo, sitting against the tree, feeling at ease in the comfortable silence. They were having some tea, to get that Splinter-tranquility feeling he talked about. Something was eating away at Leo, and he thought now would be a good time to bring it up.

"So, I'm curious... why'd you come back?"

Harmony sighed, her body visibly relaxing. "I didn't think I would, honestly. Shini and I watched your boat disappear, and I thought that that was it; I missed my chance of going back. But," Harmony chuckled now. "The Ancient One. I swear he planned this. He said he knew I wanted to go and didn't know why I just didn't go, then oh-so-casually pointed out a boat that was tied up to the dock, saying that it looked to be stocked up and filled up enough to make a trip to New York if I changed my mind."

Leo laughed a bit. "AO sure is something."

Harmony nodded, agreeing. "I think, mainly, it's what you said about the whole new life thing. That coming back here didn't mean I backtracked. You were right. I was just afraid of the bad parts of my old life coming back and dragging me down, but once I realized that only I choose what makes me move forward, I hopped on that boat with Shini and raced behind the ship you were on. I didn't realize how much I missed everyone until I got on the boat. Like, I missed everyone a lot, but it hit me when I got on the boat, you know? I felt like I was doing the best thing for me." Harmony smiled, looking down. Her smile faded a bit. "Hey, uh... about how that whole thing ended..."

Leo rested his hand on top of hers, stopping her. "That might haunt us sometimes, but we choose if it holds us back or not. Remember that. We did a good thing, even if it doesn't feel like it right now."

Harmony smiled again. "I know. Now that he's gone, I don't have to worry about my past. I can live a good life knowing that Shredder isn't around the corner anymore. The best part is that now, I can visit New York whenever I want and not have to worry."

Leo looked up at her. "Really?"

Harmony nodded. "I'm not going to drop out of your lives again. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I'm going to come visit, but you've got to promise you guys will try to visit, too. Otherwise it's just a one-sided relationship kind of thing, and I'm not about that."

Leo laughed again. "Sure. Plus, the guys and Splinter would love it. I know they would. I think they'd like the Ancient One a lot, too."

Harmony raised her tea cup to Leo. "To the future."

Leo smiled, raising his. "I never thought you'd raise a cheesy cheer, but I'm not complaining." They clinked their tea. "To the future."

* * *

"Don't worry, we'll come visit again!"

"Ugh, but I don't want you to leave!" Mikey whined. "Shini, you're so awesome and fun! And you brought me back my sister! That makes you super amazing!"

Shini smiled, kissing the top of Mikey's head. "I know, I'll miss you too, Michelangelo."

"It feels too soon," Mikey whined again.

"We've been here for weeks," Harmony replied, rubbing the top of Mikey's head. "I promise, we'll come back, but you guys should come to Japan at least once."

Mikey smiled. "That'd be awesome!"

Everyone was gathered in the lair, saying their goodbyes to Harmony and Shini. The teens all hugged each other, saying their bittersweet farewells. Harmony walked over to Splinter, who was a bit behind them all. Harmony brushed her hair back, looking up at her father. She smiled sweetly, hugging him. He smiled warmly, huging her back.

"I'll miss you, Father," Harmony said, holding him tightly. "Thank you for everything you've done for me." She looked up at him. "I loved the time we got to spend together. I'll be replaying the moments probably all the time."

Splinter chuckled, brushing the top of her head. "As will I, my daughter. I am glad you are now happy and can move forward, as you've wanted. Remember that I will always be here for you, in any way possible." Splinter bent his head down a bit and kissed the top of her head. Harmony blushed a bit, smiling at the parental affection. It was taking some getting used to, but she wasn't complaining. "I love you, my daughter."

"I love you too, Father."

Their little moment was intruded by a chorus of "awwwwww's." Harmony's face felt hot, and Splinter just laughed. Harmony mouthed 'I will kill you all' at the teens as they laughed at her blushing face. She joined the teens, sticking at Shini's side.

"Aw, c'mon, princess," April said, wrapping an arm around Harmony's shoulders. "It was very sweet."

Raph eyed April. "Hey, princess is my term," Raph said, pulling Harmony into his side. "I was the first one to say it."

April smiled at Raph's challenge, pulling Harmony back to her. "Liar, liar, shell on fire."

"Oh, you wanna go?" Raph challenged, grinning as April raised her fists.

Harmony shoved her hands in their faces, laughing as they were caught off guard. "Please, please, fight over me another time."

Donnie scoffed. "Please, even when you're not here, they're gonna be arguing about it."

"Yeah, but nothing can top sweetheart," Casey butted in, raising his eyebrows at Harmony. "She obviously agrees, since she- -" Harmony stopped him by stepping on his foot, whistling innocently as he yelped. "Hey, jokes on you, playing hard to get won't steer me clear."

"Uh, excuse me, I'm right here," Donnie said playfully. "Can't believe you're doing this to me, puck mouth."

Casey got on one knee, playing along and taking Donnie's hand in his. "Forgive me, I meant none by it, kraang breath."

The teens laughed and groaned at their act, very amused by it. Once Shini and Harmony really had to get going, the teens said their farewells one last time before they left Leo to say his goodbyes. Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He swiftly engulfed them both in his arms. "At least this time, I know we'll see each other again." Harmony and Shini laughed a bit, hugging him back. "Tell AO I said hi, okay? Don't make other dork friends."

"Please, no one can out-dork you," Shini replied. "Don't miss us too much, chubby cheeks."

"Hi, I'm Leo, I spend my time missing the people I care about when they're not in front of me- - ow, okay," Leo chuckled as Shini punched his arm playfully. Leo let them both go, and he and Shini looked at Harmony.

Shini bumped Harmony closer to Leo. "Come on, MiMi, I'm upset too, but we'll see them again."

Harmony smiled, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. We'll see you guys later, okay?" Harmony turned on her heel, walking towards the exit along with Shini. She suddenly stopped, groaning.

"MiMi, what's wrong?" Shini asked, concerned.

"I swear, this family has me being super soft and whatever," Harmony grumbled as she turned around. She stepped up to Leo, hugging him. Leo laughed, hugging her back. Harmony waved over the others, getting them in on the hug too. "I blame all of you for how I am today."

"Aww, we love you too," Mikey replied, making all of them laugh.

* * *

Casey and April went home. The teens settled into bed. They all hugged Splinter. Their emotions kept them all up for a bit, but when they were starting to fall asleep, they all looked at the picture, smiling warmly (and tiredly) as they drifted to sleep.

Harmony and Shini were hours away from Japan. It was night time, and they weren't in any particular rush, anyhow. They looked up at the night sky, which was much more starry since they were away from artificial light. Shini commented on how much Leo would love it, to which Harmony agreed. They both looked at the picture.

It was Mikey and April's idea. They insisted that all of them take a group picture to have something to remember those weeks. It took so many tries just to get decent pictures, but when they looked through the camera roll, they all awed at one particular picture. In no way, shape or form were the teens organized in the picture. Some of them were making funny faces, some of them weren't aware a picture was being taken, some were laughing in the picture. Since they were moving in that picture, it showed the motion fade, but their faces were still clear in the picture. Splinter eating a cheesicle made the picture even better.

The picture, in some way, marked a new chapter for their lives, and they were looking forward to it.


End file.
